Aminolevulinic acid: pharmacological profile and clinical indication

The role of aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride (ALA) in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of in situ neoplasias and tumours of epithelial tumours is steadily increasing and it has been shown to be the drug with most clinical use in PDT. In dermatology, topical PDT with ALA is already postulated to be the treatment of choice for actinic keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinomas. In gastroenterology, pulmonology, uro- and nephrology, neurology and gynaecology ALA has an important role as a photosensitiser not only in the diagnosis of neoplastic tissue but as therapy; first experiences have been made with PDT in these organs. Besides the therapeutic efficacy of this technique, the fluorescence of ALA-induced porphyrins can be effectively used to detect and delineate epithelial and endothelial neoplasms. In dermatology, other indications for ALA-treatment are non-tumoural applications, especially psoriasis, viral-induced diseases, or acne vulgaris. ALA is an effective compound in the diagnosis or therapy of various epithelial and endothelial neoplastic lesions.