Photopneumatic therapy for the treatment of keratosis pilaris

Background: Current treatment options for keratosis pilaris (KP) are limited and are often found to be unsatisfactory to patients. Objective: Pilot study to determine if photopneumatic therapy (PPx) can improve the erythema and skin texture in KP. Methods: Ten patients with KP were treated with one session of PPx on the upper arm and then evaluated one month later for treatment efficacy. Results: Average investigator-assessed improvement was 27% in erythema and 56% in skin texture roughness. Average patient self-reported improvement was 52% in erythema and 53% in skin texture. The mean satisfaction score was 6.3 on a scale of 1 to 10 (median 7.5) and 8 out of 10 participants reported they would choose to receive PPx for their KP again in the future. Limitations: Small number of patients, short follow-up period, and lack of blinding of the examiner and the patients making recall bias possible. Conclusions: One treatment of PPx improved both the erythema and redness associated with KP over at least a one month period.