Introduction: Photodynamic therapy uses photochemical substances that selectively impregnate abnormal tissue and act as a sensitizing agent for the light.
Objective: To evaluate the clinical response, aesthetic results and side effects of applying photodynamic therapy using the photosensitizer methyl-aminolevulinate hydrochloride in actinic keratosis lesions, basal cell carcinomas, and Bowen’s disease.
Methods: After removing scales or crusts and impregnating the lesion with methylaminolevulinate hydrochloride, 632 nm (37 j/cm2) red light radiation was applied, at a distance of 5 to 8 cm from the skin, for 8 minutes.
Results: 102 patients (59 with actinic keratosis, 32 with basal cell carcinoma, and 11 with Bowen’s disease) were studied.After 12 weeks, only 14 patients (6 actinic keratosis, 6 basal cell carcinoma, and 2 Bowen’s disease) had incomplete results. The treatment yielded excellent aesthetic results.The main complications were 1 case of severe erythema and 1 case of important pustules and edema.
Conclusions: Consistent with the literature, this study confirms the efficacy of photodynamic therapy with methyl-aminolevulinate hydrochloride in the treatment of actinic keratosis lesions and non-melanocytic cutaneous neoplasias, with similar recurrence rates and better aesthetic results than conventional therapies.

Introduction: Actinic keratoses are the most common premalignant skin lesions, with a chronic and recurrent nature. Daylight photodynamic therapy has been used in the treatment of actinic keratoses of the face and scalp.
Objective: To demonstrate the possibility of implementing daylight photodynamic therapy at a public service, for the treatment of facial actinic keratosis, using one tube of methyl aminolevulinate cream for up to four patients.
Methods: Ten patients were selected to undergo daylight photodynamic therapy at the Centro de Dermatologia Dona Libânia, located in the city of Fortaleza (CE), Brazil. Curettage was performed on the actinic keratosis and a methyl aminolevulinate cream based chemical filter was applied across the face.
Results: One tube of methyl aminolevulinate cream was enough for treating up to four patients with multiple facial actinic keratoses, whereas studies suggest the use of at least one gram to treat one face completely.
Conclusion: It was possible to conclude when administering daylight photodynamic therapy, an amount of less than one gram of methyl aminolevulinate cream in the treatment of facial actinic keratoses is a dosage sufficient to obtain an effective clinical response.

Keywords: KERATOSIS, ACTINIC; PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY; ECONOMICS, PHARMACEUTICAL

Daylight photodynamic therapy (daylight-PDT) has been used in the treatment of facial and scalp actinic keratoses (AKs) as an alternative of similar efficacy but with greater tolerance than the conventional form of the procedure (c-PDT). Twelve patients performed 2 sessions of daylight-PDT with 30-day intervals without major adverse events. Improvement of AKs and photorejuvenation were observed. Repeated sessions of daylight-PDT are well tolerated and may increase clinical and aesthetic benefit in patients with face and scalp AKs.

Keywords: KERATOSIS, ACTINIC ; PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY; REJUVENATION

The sebaceous nevus of Jadassohn is a congenital hamartoma that may develop into a malignant cutaneous neoplasia. Photodynamic therapy is used to treat actinic keratoses and superficial or nodular basal cell carcinomas, and the cutaneous field cancerization can be observed using the Wood's lamp during the performance of the technique. This article describes a case of photodynamic therapy used in the treatment of a basal cell carcinoma, which developed on a sebaceous nevus, where the field cancerization was demonstrated through the use of Wood's lamp. The procedure is a non-surgical alternative for the treatment of the basal cell carcinoma, with excellent aesthetic outcome. The patient is on clinical follow-up, with absence of recurrence of the neoplasia 18 months after the treatment.

Keywords: CARCINOMA, BASAL CELL; NEVUS, SEBACEOUS OF JADASSOHN; PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY