Photodynamic therapy in dermatology

Editorial commentTherapies that selectively target diseased cells while sparing normal tissue remain the goal of modern medicine. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) achieves double selectivity both by the degree that preferential accumulation of the photosensitizer occurs in the targeted cells and the extent to which the illumination is spatially localized to the target. Dr. GI Stables has reviewed the burgeoning literature on this oxygen-requiring technique by discussing its essential components (photosensitizers, light sources) and its many applications including benign, premalignant, and malignant disease. Most studied has been the use of 5 -aminolaevulinic acid PDT for psoriasis, actinic keratoses and non-melanoma skin cancer. While residents and trainees have reason to be excited about these developments, all readers should be cautioned that PDT's role in routine dermatological practice awaits comparison to carefully controlled trials involving comparison to more standardized techniques.