Acute acne flare following isotretinoin administration successfully treated by 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy.

The acne flare occurs in a small proportion of patients at the initiation of oral isotretinoin. The traditional therapy is oral corticosteroids. But for particular patients it also can be accompanied by side effects, such as metabolic disorder, inhibition of immune function among other effects. Here, we report a young man with acute acne flare following isotretinoin administration treated by 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT). 5-ALA cream (5%) was applied on all skin lesions and kept under a black plastic film for 2 h, and then the skin lesions were exposed toLED PDT illumination with a wavelength of 633 ± 6 mm, power density of 42 mW/cm2, irradiation duration of 30 min for each light spot and light dose of 75.6 J/cm2, for each treated area. A total of seven treatments were provided, with complete clearance and excellent cosmetic result. Here, ALA-PDT as a novel therapeutic option in acne flare.