Photobiomodulation Therapy for Multiple Painful Fixed Drug Eruptions: The First Case Report

Introduction: Fixed drug eruption (FDE), a very specific adverse drug reaction and one of the most common types of drug eruption, generally resolves spontaneously within 7-10 days upon withdrawal of the causative agent; however, extensive and severe cases may also require systemic drug therapy. The present study aimed to report a case in which a broad spectrum of severe, painful lesions of FDE was managed with photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT). Case Report: A 31-year-old Caucasian woman presented with many extremely painful mucocutaneous lesions of FDE which had arisen 8 days before, following a long period of hospitalization. The lesions were not responsive to either corticosteroids or analgesics within 5 days, and then seven daily sessions of PBMT were proposed. Pain alleviation was achieved on the 1^st day of PBMT, and the lesions showed an advanced course of healing on the 3^rd day. Within 7 days of PBMT, the lesions were almost completely repaired. In a 3-month follow-up period, no relapse of any FDE lesion was reported. Conclusion: PBMT may be a promising strategy for the management of painful lesions of FDE refractory to conventional medication therapy. However, further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.