Photodynamic Therapy for Treatment of Bowen's Disease / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is increasingly used for superficial skin cancers. However, there have only been a few reports on Bowen's disease treated with PDT in the Korean literature. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of PDT in the treatment of Bowen's disease. METHODS: We treated 20 Bowen's disease lesions in 15 patients using topical PDT containing 5-aminolaevulinic acid and a light-emitting diode device. The light intensity used was 100 mW/cm(2) and the dosage was 140~220 J/cm(2). RESULTS: Complete clearance was achieved in 17 of 20 lesions (85%) after 2~4 treatment sessions. The only side effect was a stinging sensation, which occurred in 5 lesions (20%). CONCLUSION: PDT is a relatively effective and useful alternative therapy for treatment of Bowen's disease.