Gold nanoshell-mediated photothermal therapy for acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris, a common and chronic disorder of the pilosebaceous unit, affects up to 85% of adolescent and young adults. Although the current treatment options are effective, they are associated with unwanted side effects, chronicity, relapses, and recurrences. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved topical application of gold microparticles for selective photothermolysis to treat acne vulgaris. Here, we report two cases showing the efficacy of gold nanoshell-mediated photothermal therapy for recurrent acne that were refractory to previous treatments. In both cases, three sessions of photothermal therapy prevented the development of new lesions during a follow-up period of 3-4 months without causing any adverse effects. The two cases reported here demonstrate the possibility of gold nanoshell-mediated photothermal therapy as a safe and effective treatment for recurrent acne vulgaris in Asian patients.