Klox Biophotonic System, a promising innovative approach to canine chronic otitis externa: preliminary report of a randomized controlled clinical trial

Treatment of chronic otitis externa can be very challenging and following failure of standard treatment, ablative surgery becomes the final option. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of topical KLOX BioPhotonic System in the treatment of canine chronic otitis externa versus standard of care therapy. Dogs with spontaneous, chronic otitis externa were randomly divided in three groups: groups QW and BW received KLOX once-a-week and twice-a-week, respectively; group C received enrofloxacin and silver sulfadiazine twice-a-day. KLOX therapy consists of a topical application of a Biophotonic gel inside the external auditory canal followed with illumination using a Bluephase® lamp for 1.5 minutes. The evaluation protocol (T0-T5) consisted of: clinical assessment (Otis3-Index-Scoring-System; Pruritus-Severity-Scale; Pain-Severity-Score; Aural temperature), cytological scoring system, quali-quantitative bacteriologic assessment. All groups (QW, n=15; BW, n=14; C, n=14) indicate improvement (P<0.02 for all clinic and cytological assessments; P<10-4 in groups BW and C for bacteriologic assessment). Group BW showed the highest clinical score reduction (P<0.05 in T4 and P=0.018 in T5). Group BW reached the Otis3 cut-off mean score for clinical success at T3, group QW at T4, group C do not reach it. Group BW (-99.78±0.40) showed a mean-%-reduction of UFC/mL (T0-T5) significantly higher (P=0.032) than group C (-88.57±18.46). KLOX twice-a-week recorded the best performance. The lower frequency of application of KLOX compared to standard treatment could increase therapeutic compliance. KLOX BioPhotonic System could be considered an innovative therapeutic strategy to avoid ablative surgery in canine chronic otitis externa.