Update on photodynamic treatment for actinic keratosis

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an attractive treatment option for actinic keratoses (AKs), as large skin areas can be treated with high response rates and superior cosmetic outcome. The efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT and methyl aminolevulinate (MAL)-PDT for AK has been proven in multiple studies, and this treatment is recommended in numerous consensus works and therapy guidelines. Moreover, a self-adhesive ALA patch has been approved for the PDT of AK. In a phase III study, ALA-patch-PDT was superior to cryotherapy and placebo in the treatment of mild to moderate AK on the face and scalp, and pre-treatment of the lesions and additional light occlusion was unnecessary when using the patch. ALA with a proprietary nanoemulsion is another newly marketed ALA gel that has been approved for the treatment of mild to moderate AK on the head. ALA was combined with a nanoemulsion to achieve increased chemical stability of the active ingredient and to enhance skin penetration. One study found that ALA was superior to MAL in the treatment of AK on the face or scalp. Daylight-PDT is a simpler and more tolerable treatment procedure for PDT, and three randomised studies have shown that daylight-PDT is an effective and pain-free treatment for AK; however, the procedure is limited by the need for a sufficient light dose and outdoor temperature. Ablative fractional laser resurfacing prior to MAL has been used to improve the PDT response of thick AK. However, more intense acute skin reactions and long-term adverse events in ablative fractional laser resurfacing-PDT compared with PDT-treated skin were found, which might limit the use of the intensified treatment.