ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Dermatology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1654474
Clinical Efficacy and Predictive Factors of Photodynamic Therapy Combined with Mussel Mucin Repair Dressing in Treating Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation: A Multimodal Approach
Provisionally accepted
- Chengdu Second People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
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Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with recombinant mussel mucin repair dressing in treating post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and to assess its impact on patient quality of life. Methods: In a prospective, controlled, non-randomized clinical study, we enrolled 310 patients (Fitzpatrick III–IV) with epidermal or dermal PIH. Patients underwent PDT by wavelength and energy protocol, followed by immediate application of mussel mucin repair dressing. Pigmentation area, melanin density, adverse events, recurrence, and quality of life were assessed over 14 months. Results: The combined therapy achieved significantly greater pigment clearance at 4 weeks (42.3% vs. 25.6% in controls, p<0.001), larger melanin density reduction (31.5% vs. 17.2%, p=0.002), fewer phototoxic reactions (6.5% vs. 14.1%, p=0.021), and lower recurrence at 14 months (13.2% vs. 27.8%, p=0.011). Patient-reported quality of life markedly improved (median DLQI score from 35 to 68, p<0.001). Conclusion: PDT combined with mussel mucin repair dressing provides superior pigment clearance, reduced recurrence, improved safety, and enhanced quality of life compared with standard therapy. This multimodal approach offers a promising option for PIH management in darker skin types.
Keywords: Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, Photodynamic therapy, Mussel mucin, Repair dressing, machine learning, precision dermatology, melanogenesis, antioxidant therapy
Received: 26 Jun 2025; Accepted: 23 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Nie, Hou, Zhou, Zhang and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yonghong Lu, y.lu1255395583@outlook.com
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