EXPERIENCES OF PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY IN DERMATOLOGY

From March 1988 to May 1994, 15 patients underwent the treatment proto col of superficial photodynamic therapy (PDT) in dermatological locali zed malignancies. Two tumours (one M. Queyrat of the penis, one basali oma) were treated primarily; the other 13 patients experienced relapse s of underlying disease after treatment by surgery, radiotherapy or ch emotherapy. Most of the patients (10/15) received doses of 2 mg Photos an III kg(-1) body weight (BW), four received a lower dose of 1-1.5 mg kg(-1) BW and one patient received 3 mg kg(-1) BW. Only one remarkabl e side-effect (tachyarrhythmia) during Photosan III infusion occurred. All patients were treated by an argon dye laser system. The light dos e was 200 J cm(-2) (11 patients) and 150 J cm(-2) (four patients). Com plete response occurred in six lesions, including one M. Queyrat and f ive basaliomas. Two patients had significant partial response with dis tinct regression of tumour (one pretreated basalioma of the upper lip and one superficially spreading mesothelioma of the scrotum). Five pat ients (all basaliomas) demonstrated only local response and two patien ts gave no response (one basalioma, one melanoma metastasis). The resu lts obtained from this small sample suggest the necessity of an optica l dosimetric system. At present, PDT should be restricted for selected or pretreated cases.