Cheryl Guttman Krader, BS, Pharm

Positive results from initial in vitro studies suggest that photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds promise for overcoming biofilm-related microbial resistance, says Thomas S. Mang, Ph.D.

Repetitive same-day treatment with a nanosecond pulsed, Q-switched laser increases tattoo ink clearance and is safe, but the magnitude of improvement does not appear to increase linearly with the number of treatments, reported Suzanne L. Kilmer, M.D., at LASER 2012, the 32nd annual American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery conference.

Use of combination therapy as a means to improve efficacy and minimize toxicity is a well-accepted principle in medicine. As it applies to the management of psoriasis, the results of multiple studies support the value of combination topical therapy with a vitamin D analogue and corticosteroid, said two speakers at the 2012 Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference.

A randomized, split-face, controlled study has shown that photodynamic treatment using hexyl aminolevulinate HCl (HAL; Allumera, Photocure) and multiple laser and light sources is safe, well tolerated and effective for photorejuvenation, says Sabrina Fabi, M.D.