Methyl aminolevulinate-based photodynamic therapy of Bowen´s disease: Observational study of 21 lesions

Although surgical removal is the treatment of choice in Bowen's disease (BD), there are cases in which by age, comorbidities, use of anticoagulants, location, cosmetic result, or size, it is preferable to use other treatments such as cryotherapy, 5-fluorouracil cream, imiquimod 5% cream or photodynamic therapy (PDT). Efficacy of PDT in BD is supported by substantial research and clinical data.

This study aimed to evaluate the long term effectiveness of methyl aminolevulinate-PDT (MAL/PDT) on a wide range of Bowen lesions in different locations and sizes.

Patients diagnosed with BD were treated in 3 sessions with a 4-week interval in between with MAL/PDT between January 2016 and January 2017 in a private clinic. Clinical response and relevant patient and tumour characteristics were analyzed during the first year after start of the PDT sessions.

In total, 21 BD lesions in 18 patients were included in the study. Complete regression (CR) after 3rd PDT session was 87.5% and 100% at the 6-month follow-up. Treatment was well tolerated and local adverse reactions were very scarce. No recurrence was observed at 12-month follow-up. Cosmetic outcome at 12 months was good or excellent in 100% of patients.

MAL/PDT is an effective, non invasive and safe treatment modality for BD with excellent cosmesis.