Photodynamic therapy for facial dermatosis papulosa nigra: Efficacy and safety in a preliminary study

Dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN) is a benign epidermal hyperplasia that affects patients’ appearance and threatens their physical and mental health. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a non-invasive, effective treatment with low recurrence for skin disorders; however, its application for DPN has not been reported. Here, we treated 45 DPN patients at Changzhou First People’s Hospital with 10% 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) PDT once a week for four weeks, with a 3‑month follow-up. Post-treatment, the cure rate reached 71.1% and overall efficacy was 93.3%, with mild erythema, edema, and temporary pigmentation as the most common adverse effects. These results suggest that PDT is a promising and safe alternative for DPN treatment.