The effectiveness of photodynamic therapy using a nanocapsulated oligopeptide of 5-aminolevulinic acid in the complex treatment of the genital lichen sclerosus: A case report

Abstract

Lichen sclerosus et atropicus is an autoimmune dermatosis belonging to the group of localized scleroderma, most often affecting the skin of the anogenital area. The disease is characterized by slow development with chronization, visualized as areas of atrophy and induration of the affected tissues, causes unbearable itching, pain, dysuria, as well as sexual dysfunction in men and women. The etiology of the disease has not yet been studied. However, genetic predisposition is becoming more likely, given that at least 10% of patients have a family history. Topical corticosteroids are currently the generally accepted method of treating lichen sclerosus. Other treatments include pharmaceuticals (for example, testosterone, progesterone, tacrolimus, 5-fluorouracil and retinoids), surgical excision, cryosurgery, laser therapy and ultraviolet radiation, but none of these treatments is satisfactory and does not lead to stabilization of the skinpathological process. A clinical case of complex effective treatment of genital lichen sclerosus et atrophicus by photodynamic photoporation using 5-aminolevulenic acid in a 19-year-old patient with a severe course of the disease, early manifestation in the neonatal period and a total vulvar skin lesion is presented.