Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of onychomycosis – a review

Katarzyna Kalinowska; Anita Hryncewicz-Gwóźdź

doi:10.5114/dr.2017.68776

eISSN: 2084-9893
ISSN: 0033-2526

Dermatology Review/Przegląd Dermatologiczny

Current issue Archive Manuscripts accepted About the journal Special Issues Editorial board Abstracting and indexing Subscription Contact Instructions for authors Ethical standards and procedures

Editorial System

Submit your Manuscript

Editorial Policies

Sarajevo Declaration on Integrity and Visibility of Scholarly Publications

Open access

3/2017
vol. 104

Send email

Copy url:

abstract:

Review paper

Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of onychomycosis – a review

Katarzyna Kalinowska

,

Anita Hryncewicz-Gwóźdź

Dermatol Rev/Przegl Dermatol 2017, 104,290 –299

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/dr.2017.68776

Online publish date: 2017/07/05

View full text Get citation

PlumX metrics:

Toenail onychomycosis is a common infection, affecting up to 14% of the population. Moreover, poor penetration of topical drugs into the nail bed leads to frequent recurrences of the disease. The cure rate of toenail onychomycosis is estimated at 63–76%. An alternative treatment for onychomycosis is photodynamic therapy. Following agents are used in this method: porfimer sodium, rose bengal, methylene blue, 5-aminolevulinic acid and its derivative – methyl ester. The therapy is well tolerated Photodynamic therapy offers an opportunity to achieve a significant cure rate in patients who cannot receive oral therapy. Thanks to systematic improvements in photodynamic therapy, including better photosensitizer penetration into the nail bed and shorter exposure time, photodynamic therapy may be more efficient and cost-effective than other onychomycosis treatments. However, randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of photodynamic therapy of onychomycosis are needed.

keywords:

Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of onychomycosis – a review

Katarzyna Kalinowska , Anita Hryncewicz-Gwóźdź

onychomycosis, photodynamic therapy, 5-aminolevulinic acid

Katarzyna Kalinowska

,

Anita Hryncewicz-Gwóźdź