Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for the treatment of oral mucositis—A comparative study

• DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2023.103543
• Publication Date: 2023-03-31T07:49:25Z
• Authors: Adriele de Freita...; Miriã de Andrade ...; Júlia Mariosa Fer...; Isabela Vieira Lima; Ysabele Cristina ...; Flávio Ferraz Vieira; Alice Muglia Thom...; Patrícia Carlos C...; Sílvia Ferreira d...; Maria Cássia Ferr...
• Keywords: Stomatitis; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms; Photosensitizing Agents; Photochemotherapy; Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Low-Level Light Therapy; 3. Good health

The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of photobiomodulation and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in the treatment of oral mucositis.Oral Mucositis is a frequent complication of oral cavity and oropharynx cancer. Considering the OM aggravation by microorganisms contamination, disinfection provide by antimicrobial photodynamic therapy could be an effective approach.This comparative study included fourteen patients undergoing radiochemotherapy for oral cavity and oropharynx cancer treatment, who developed oral mucositis.photobiomodulation. Intervention group: photobiomodulation and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy. The lesion size, duration, pain, and identification of microorganisms were evaluated.The mean reduction in oral mucositis size in the intervention group was 0.70 cm² (±0.35) and 0.30 cm² (±1.10) for the control group. The mean duration of oral mucositis was 18.37 days (±12.12) for the intervention group and 23 days (±14.78) for the control group. The intervention group had a mean reduction of 3.40 points on the pain scale (±2.44), while the control group had 0.17 (±2.28). In the intervention group, the predominant isolated microbiota was featured as mixed culture (n = 4/ 50%), followed of Gram Positive (n = 3/ 37.50%), and Gram Negative (n = 1/ 12.55%). In the control group, mixed culture was also more frequent (n = 4 / 66%), followed by Gram Positive (n = 2 /34%). Gram Negative was not predominantly isolated in the control group.No statistical significance was found between PBM-T alone and PBM-T + PDT. However, the better outcomes reached by PBM-T + PDT group would suggest there could be a role for combined treatment in the management of OM lesions.