Platelet rich plasma injection versus topical erythromycin 2% in treatment of acne vulgaris

Abstract

Background Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory skin disease that affects the pilosebaceous glands. There are different modalities of treatment of acne but there is no standard treatment free of side effects. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous concentration of platelets in a small volume of plasma. When platelets are activated, multiple growth factors are released. They play an important role in angiogenesis, inflammatory process and wound healing. Aim was to evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy of platelet rich plasma versus topical erythromycin 2% in treatment of acne vulgaris. Methods 40 patients with inflammatory acne lesions were included. All patients received PRP injection sessions in one side of the face (group A) every 2 weeks for 6 sessions and topical erythromycin 2% in the other side (group B). Results There was significant difference between both groups in which better improvement was reported in group A (55% of patients showed good to excellent improvement and 35% showed moderate improvement, especially the inflammatory lesions). Group A showed better patients’ satisfaction and lower rate of recurrence than group B. Conclusion PRP is effective and safe treatment option for inflammatory acne and alternative to other systemic modalities especially if they are contraindicated.