Trial reportLasers in medical science2021
Isotretinoin plus 420 nm intense pulsed light versus isotretinoin alone for the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized, controlled study of efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction in Chinese subjects.
Trial report in Lasers in medical science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- A comprehensive systematic review on the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and relapse rates of modern procedural therapies for inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne vulgaris.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic review of vascular lasers for the treatment of inflammatory active acne vulgaris.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- Isotretinoin Combined Laser/Light-Based Treatments Versus Isotretinoin Alone for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris: A Meta-Analysis.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Pooled it
- Combinations of Energy-based Devices plus isotretinoin for management of acne and acne scars: A systematic review.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2024Pooled it
- Adverse Events in Isotretinoin Therapy: A Single-Arm Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Early acne scar intervention with 1064 nm picosecond laser in patients receiving oral isotretinoin: a randomized split-face controlled pilot study.Lasers in medical science · 2023Trial
- Efficacy and safety of low-level light therapy by delicate pulsed light combined with low-dose oral isotretinoin for the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized split-face study.Lasers in medical science · 2022Trial
- Keloid Formation and Any Skin Complications in Patients Treated With Isotretinoin and Undergone Any Skin-Related Procedures.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Review
- Dual-filter IPL vs. LED phototherapy combined with systemic therapy for moderate-to-severe acne in Asian patients.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Unlocking the power of light: Innovative solutions for severe acne-A report of two cases.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2024Article
- Emerging lasers and light-based therapies in the management of acne: a review.Lasers in medical science · 2024Review
- Targeting Inflammation in Acne: Current Treatments and Future Prospects.American journal of clinical dermatology · 2023Article
- Physiological and Psychological Effects of Isotretinoin in the Treatment of Patients with Acne: A Narrative Review.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2023Review
- Acne Vulgaris in Skin of Color: A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness and Tolerability of Current Treatments.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology · 2022Article
- The Use of Lasers and Light Devices in Acne Management: An Update.American journal of clinical dermatology · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Either isotretinoin or intense pulsed light (IPL) proved to be effective to alleviate acne lesions, but the combined treatment has rarely been reported. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction of isotretinoin and 420 nm IPL combined treatment. Forty-seven patients with facial acne with Global Evaluation Acne (GEA) graded 2-4 were randomized into study group and control group. The patients in the control group received oral isotretinoin for 8 weeks. The patients in the study group were treated with oral isotretinoin for 8 weeks, together with a biweekly 420 nm IPL treatment for 4 weeks. Topical agents included adapalene and fusidic acid. Efficacy was evaluated using digital photographies taken at baseline and week 12 by an independent dermatologist, including GEA grade, lesion count, lesion reduction percentage, and effective rate. All patients completed a questionnaire about dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and satisfaction visual analog scale (VAS) on week 12, and were followed up for another 2 months. Adverse events were recorded. The patients in the study group experienced significant reduction in GEA grade, total lesions, and inflammatory lesions on week 12, compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The patients in the study group reported lower DLQI and higher VAS satisfaction (p < 0.05) and experienced lower incidence of relapse (p < 0.05). No severe adverse event was identified in both groups. Compared with isotretinoin alone, isotretinoin and 420 nm IPL combined treatment proved to be more effective within limited treatment duration. It was well-tolerated and the patients' satisfaction was high.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.