Photodynamic therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the index finger: A case report

Skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common skin cancer, and surgical resection is the first choice of treatment. However, some special sites such as lips, eyelids, distal fingers and genital areas are not suitable for operation. We report a case of SCC on his left index for three years. Concerning the side effects such as scarring and functional defects, the patient refused operation. We conducted four sessions of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT), at 7-10 day intervals, the skin lesion healed. After twelve months of follow-up, the lesion was clinically cleared without evidence of recurrence. Thus, we believe that PDT can be an alternative treatment for SCC occurring on fingers without scar contracture and loss of digital function.