Plum-blossom needling promoted PpIX fluorescence intensity from 5-aminolevulinic acid in porcine skin model and patients with actnic keratosis

Photodynamic therapy combined with curettage for actinic keratosis on the face and scalp: An efficient treatment for field cancerization of the skin

BACKGROUND

Actinic keratosis (AK) frequently manifests as multiple regional lesions on the exposed areas of the face and scalp. The simultaneous treatment of extensive lesions with varying degrees poses a significant challenge.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the efficacy and patient satisfaction of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with curettage in managing extensive AK on the face and scalp.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with AK on the face and scalp treated at the dermatology department of a large hospital in a central Chinese city from 2020 to 2024. Each patient was histopathologically confirmed, exhibited a large lesion area exceeding 10 cm², and demonstrated evident field cancerization. All patients underwent curettage followed by 5-ALA PDT. During a 6-month follow-up, patient self-assessment and physician evaluations were conducted to systematically assess the treatment's efficacy, satisfaction, and adverse reactions.

RESULTS

Fifty-six patients (38 females, 18 males) with a mean age of 76.26±9.16 years were included. Significant improvement in skin was observed, with the lesion count decreasing from 12.33±9.09 pretreatment to 1.98±1.50 post-treatment. Pain scores (VAS) decreased from 2.89±2.20 to 0.75±1.03, pruritus scores (NAS) from 2.46±0.95 to 0.51±0.73, and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scores from 9.12±4.46 to 2.59±2.17. The primary adverse effect was pain during PDT.

CONCLUSION

Curettage combined with 5-ALA PDT is an efficacious, safe, and efficient treatment for field cancerization of extensive AK on the face and scalp, warranting its promotion in clinical practice.

Real-world data of 5-aminolaevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy for Bowen disease: a 10-year retrospective study in patients with darker-coloured skin (2011-2021)

BACKGROUND

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been strongly recommended as an excellent alternative treatment for Bowen disease (BD). However, reported data on 5-aminolaevulinic acid-mediated PDT (ALA-PDT) with red-light irradiation are limited and the long-term effectiveness remains to be determined, especially in dark-skinned populations.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to review routine clinical practice in the field of BD treatment with ALA-PDT over an extended study period (2011-2021), calculate the overall clearance rate, and explore and evaluate factors that might affect the effectiveness of therapy in a real-world setting.

METHODS

The medical records of patients with BD who received ALA-PDT with red-light irradiation between February 2011 and June 2021 were reviewed and summarized. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinically relevant variables that may affect treatment outcomes were conducted to identify risk predictors.

RESULTS

The overall clearance rate of 122 BD lesions was 89.3% with a median follow-up time of 36 months. The correlation between the effectiveness and fluorescence intensity of pre-PDT or PDT sessions was statistically significant after eliminating the interference of confounding factors. All recurrences occurred in the first 2 years following ALA-PDT.

CONCLUSIONS

ALA-PDT is an effective treatment for BD in patients with darker-coloured skin. Well-executed operations and effective pretreatment are the determinants of effectiveness. Fluorescence intensity of pre-PDT appeared to be a significant predictor of final effectiveness. In addition, 2 years of follow-up is necessary following ALA-PDT.

Diagnosis and therapy of actinic keratosis

Actinic keratosis (AK) is considered a chronic and recurring in situ skin neoplasia, with a possible transformation into invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Among others, predominant risk factors for development of AK are UV-light exposure and immunosuppression. Basal epidermal keratinocyte atypia (AK I) and proliferation (PRO score) seem to drive malignant transformation, rather than clinical appearance of AK (Olsen I-III). Due to the invasiveness of punch biopsy, those histological criteria are not regularly assessed. Non-invasive imaging techniques, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and line-field confocal OCT (LC-OCT) are helpful to distinguish complex cases of AK, Bowen's disease, and SCC. Moreover, LC-OCT can visualize the epidermis and the papillary dermis at cellular resolution, allowing real-time PRO score assessment. The decision-making for implementation of therapy is still based on clinical risk factors, ranging from lesion- to field-targeted and ablative to non-ablative regimens, but in approximately 85% of the cases a recurrence of AK can be observed after a 1-year follow-up. The possible beneficial use of imaging techniques for a non-invasive follow-up of AK to detect recurrence or invasive progression early on should be subject to critical evaluation in further studies.

Diagnose und Therapie aktinischer Keratosen

Actinic keratosis (AK) is considered a chronic and recurring in situ skin neoplasia, with a possible transformation into invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Among others, predominant risk factors for development of AK are UV-light exposure and immunosuppression. Basal epidermal keratinocyte atypia (AK I) and proliferation (PRO Score) seem to drive malignant turnover, rather than clinical appearance of AK (Olsen I-III). Due to the invasiveness of punch biopsy, those histological criteria are not regularly assessed. Non-invasive imaging techniques, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and line-field confocal OCT (LC-OCT) are helpful to distinguish complex cases of AK, Bowen's disease and SCC. Moreover, LC-OCT can visualize the epidermis and the papillary dermis at cellular resolution, allowing real-time PRO Score assessment. The decision-making for implementation of therapy is still based on clinical risk factors, ranging from lesion- to field-targeted and ablative to non-ablative regimes, but in approximately 85% of the cases a recurrence of AK can be observed after a 1-year follow-up. The possible beneficial use of imaging techniques for a non-invasive follow-up of AK to detect recurrence or invasive progression early on should be subject to critical evaluation in further studies.

Plum-blossom needle tapping enhances the efficacy of ALA photodynamic therapy for facial actinic keratosis in Chinese population: a randomized, multicenter, prospective, and observer-blind study

BACKGROUND

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a reliable treatment for actinic keratosis (AK), but its effect needs to be enhanced in thick lesions. Plum-blossom needle is a traditional Chinese cost-effective instrument for enhancing the transdermal delivery of ALA. However, whether it could improve the efficacy of AK treatment has not yet been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy and safety of plum-blossom needle-assisted PDT in facial AK in the Chinese population.

METHODS

In this multicenter, prospective study, a total of 142 patients with AKs (grades I-III) were randomized into the plum-blossom needle-assisted PDT group (P-PDT) and control PDT group (C-PDT). In the P-PDT group, each AK lesion was tapped vertically by a plum-blossom needle before the application of 10% ALA cream. In the C-PDT group, each lesion was only wiped with regular saline before ALA cream incubation. Then, 3 hours later, all the lesions were irradiated with light-emitting diode (LED) at a wavelength of 630 nm. PDT was performed once every 2 weeks until all lesion patients achieved complete remission or completed six sessions. The efficacy (lesion response) and safety (pain scale and adverse events) in both groups were evaluated before each treatment and at every follow-up visit at 3-month intervals until 12 months.

RESULTS

In the P-PDT and C-PDT groups, the clearance rates for all AK lesions after the first treatment were 57.9% and 48.0%, respectively (P < 0.05). For grade I AK lesions, the clearance rates were 56.5% and 50.4%, respectively (P = 0.34). For grade II AK lesions, the clearance rates were 58.0% and 48.9%, respectively (P = 0.1). For grade III AK lesions, the clearance rates were 59.0% and 44.2%, respectively (P < 0.05). Moreover, grade III AK lesions in the P-PDT group required fewer treatment sessions (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the pain score between the two groups (P = 0.752).

CONCLUSION

Plum-blossom needle tapping may enhance the efficacy of ALA-PDT by facilitating ALA delivery in the treatment of AK.

Developmental synergism in the management of oral potentially malignant disorders

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are associated with an increased risk of occurrence of cancers of the oral cavity or lips. The unifying theme of OPMDs is their potential risk for cancer development. Therefore, the primary objective of the management should be to prevent carcinogenesis. Beyond diagnosis, current strategies for the management of OPMDs predominantly include non-surgical and surgical interventions and a "watch-and-see" approach, such as disease monitoring or surveillance, and preventive strategies. Though no optimal clinical treatment has gained universal approval for reducing or preventing malignant development of OPMDs. Therefore, an urgent need exits for improved treatment properties and effective predictive markers for OPMDs treatment. This review aims to outline recent synergism regarding to the management of OPMDs. Developing new technologies and improved application parameters to promote the treatment efficacy and a novel management prescription approach to OPMDs are proposed.

Sonophoresis enhances the skin penetration of 5-aminolevulinic acid: A promising pretreatment for photodynamic therapy

5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has a poor penetrance of the skin with topical application, which reduces the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Sonophoresis involves the use of sound waves or ultrasonic energy to enhance the topical or transdermal delivery of drugs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sonophoresis on the penetration of 5-ALA into the skin. We calculated in vitro transdermal accumulation of ALA, and the fluorescence images were collected for analysis. The cumulative amount of 5-ALA that penetrated the skin with sonophoresis increased over time and was significantly larger than that without sonophoresis (p < 0.01). With 5% 5-ALA and sonophoresis, the distinct localization of 5-ALA-PpIX in sebaceous glands started to appear 30 min after 5-ALA application, which is much earlier than with 5% 5-ALA only. For all incubation times, fluorescence intensities distributing in sebaceous glands were significantly higher in sonophoresis treated than non-sonophoresis treated skin (p < 0.05). Sonophoresis could be a technique of choice for enhancing the production of 5-ALA-induced PpIX and improving the efficacy of 5-ALA-based PDT, which may decrease the treatment time, lower the cost of therapy and enhance the clinical improvement, allowing many more patients to be treated.

Combination-Based Strategies for the Treatment of Actinic Keratoses with Photodynamic Therapy: An Evidence-Based Review

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a highly effective and widely adopted treatment strategy for many skin diseases, particularly for multiple actinic keratoses (AKs). However, PDT is ineffective in some cases, especially if AKs occur in the acral part of the body. Several methods to improve the efficacy of PDT without significantly increasing the risks of side effects have been proposed. In this study, we reviewed the combination-based PDT treatments described in the literature for treating AKs; both post-treatment and pretreatment were considered including topical (i.e., diclofenac, imiquimod, adapalene, 5-fluorouracil, and calcitriol), systemic (i.e., acitretin, methotrexate, and polypodium leucotomos), and mechanical–physical (i.e., radiofrequency, thermomechanical fractional injury, microneedling, microdermabrasion, and laser) treatment strategies. Topical pretreatments with imiquimod, adapalene, 5-fluorouracil, and calcipotriol were more successful than PDT alone in treating AKs, while the effect of diclofenac gel was less clear. Both mechanical laser treatment with CO2 and Er:YAG (Erbium:Yttrium–Aluminum–Garnet) as well as systemic treatment with Polypodium leucotomos were also effective. Different approaches were relatively more effective in particular situations such as in immunosuppressed patients, AKs in the extremities, or thicker AKs. Conclusions: Several studies showed that a combination-based approach enhanced the effectiveness of PDT. However, more studies are needed to further understand the effectiveness of combination therapy in clinical practice and to investigate the role of acitretin, methotrexate, vitamin D, thermomechanical fractional injury, and microdermabrasion in humans.

Efficacy and therapeutic reactions of tri-needle-pretreatment combined with painless ALA-PDT for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Our clinical experience suggests that pretreatment of the original lesions may be crucial for enhancing the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) in moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris. We performed this randomized controlled trial (RCT) to validate this observation.

METHODS

Efficacy and therapeutic reactions between tri-needle-pretreatment with ALA-PDT (TP-PDT) and conventional ALA-PDT without pretreatment (NP-PDT) were compared. In TP-PDT group, tri-needle-pretreatment was performed using comedone extractors, fire needles, or plum-blossom needles, according to the lesion type. In the TP-PDT group, 5% ALA cream was applied to lesions 30 min before illumination (LED red light: 633±10 nm, 40 mW/cm², 150 J/cm²). In the NP-PDT group, 5% ALA cream was applied 1 h before illumination (60 mW/cm², 72 J/cm²). Patients underwent four sessions, at 1-week intervals. The efficacy was evaluated as the proportion of patients achieving a remarkable effective rate, based on the reduction in the number of lesions. A numeric rating scale was used to assess the severity of pain, erythema, and edema.

RESULTS

Forty-eight patients completed the trial. The proportion of remarkable effective rate was significantly greater and the pain score was significantly lower for the TP-PDT than NP-PDT group. The edema score was significantly higher for the TP-PDT than NP-PDT group. There was no difference in erythema scores between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The tri-needle-pretreatment can improve the efficacy of ALA-PDT, without an increase in pain, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris. These qualities make the TP-PDT a promising gold standard pretreatment for ALA-PDT for acne vulgaris.

20% ALA-PDT pretreated by fire needle in patients with dissecting cellulitis of the scalp: An interim analysis

BACKGROUND

Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp (DCS) is a rare but distinctive, chronic suppurative condition, and the treatment is a therapeutic challenge. Recently, treatment of DCS with 5-aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) has been considered as a potential option.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 20% ALA-PDT pretreated by fire needle in the treatment of DCS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Topical 20% ALA-PDT with fire needle intervention as a pretreatment, was applied to six patients with DCS. All patients completed three sessions treatment at an interval of ten days. They were assessed for the efficacy at the baseline and on ten days after each treatment. According to the reduction of lesions and the improvements of patients' symptoms after each session, the objective assessment of therapeutic effect was divided into four grades. The adverse effects were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of six male patients were enrolled in our study. After three sessions of ALA-PDT, among them, three patients recovered, two patients achieved significant improvement and one patient achieved partial response.Patient 4 (Pt.4) relapsed at 6-month follow-up. Pt.1 and Pt.6. maintained complete response after one year follow-up. We also found that the clearance rate of the popular/nodular and cyst/abscess was much higher than sinus.

CONCLUSION

20% ALA-PDT pretreated by fire needle could be an effective, minimally-invasive, safe method for DCS patients. Lesion in the early stages have a better response than sinus.

Micro- and Nano-Based Transdermal Delivery Systems of Photosensitizing Drugs for the Treatment of Cutaneous Malignancies

Photodynamic therapy is one of the more unique cancer treatment options available in today’s arsenal against this devastating disease. It has historically been explored in cutaneous lesions due to the possibility of focal/specific effects and minimization of adverse events. Advances in drug delivery have mostly been based on biomaterials, such as liposomal and hybrid lipoidal vesicles, nanoemulsions, microneedling, and laser-assisted photosensitizer delivery systems. This review summarizes the most promising approaches to enhancing the photosensitizers’ transdermal delivery efficacy for the photodynamic treatment for cutaneous pre-cancerous lesions and skin cancers. Additionally, discussions on strategies and advantages in these approaches, as well as summarized challenges, perspectives, and translational potential for future applications, will be discussed.

5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy for early-stage lip squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lip removed by surgery may cause lip dysfunction and scar. ALA-PDT (5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy) is a minimally invasive treatment for superficial SCC in situ. However, few studies reported the use of topical ALA-PDT to manage lip SCC.

METHODS

Between 2015 and 2017, 6 patients with Tis to T2 lip squamous cell carcinoma without evidence of lymph node spread, were treated with topical ALA-PDT at Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital. Clinical responses and side effect were evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) at 1 month, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months after ALA-PDT.

RESULTS

All of the 6 patients achieved complete response (CR) by 2-7 sessions of ALA-PDT. There was no relapse during 24 months follow up for 4 patients. Two out of 6 patients relapsed at 10 months and 20 months post PDT but achieved CR again by 1-3 more sessions of PDT. There was no functional or aesthetic problem.

CONCLUSION

Topical 5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic could be considered a potential alternative therapeutic option for early-stage lip squamous cell carcinoma without lymph node spread.

Ulceration occurring after ALA-PDT combined with plum-blossom needle percussion for the treatment of pretibial Bowen's disease: A case report

We used 5-aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) combined with plum-blossom needle (PBN) on a 3.5 cm × 3.0 cm pretibial region to treat an elderly woman suffering from Bowen's disease (BD). Before the application of ALA, the PBN was inserted 3-4 times vertically starting at 5 cm above the lesion. Then, 20 % 5-ALA cream was applied with an incubation time of 3.5 h. A semiconductor laser at a wavelength of 635 nm was used to illuminate the lesion at 100 J/cm² using 60 mW/cm². A total of three sessions of ALA-PDT were performed at 2-3-week intervals, thus removing the lesion of BD. However, a 1.5 cm × 1.0 cm ulceration occurred 2 weeks after the third session when the PBN was used. Therefore, PBN percussion or other methods for promoting ALA penetration should be carefully applied to avoid ulceration, especially on the sites with less subcutaneous tissue.

A retrospective study comparing different injection approaches of 5-aminolevulinic acid in patients with non-melanoma skin cancer

BACKGROUND

5-aminolevulinic acid through a needle-free, plum-blossom needle or conventional needle followed by photodynamic therapy are available options for non-melanoma skin cancer treatment.

AIM

To compare these three techniques of injection of 5-aminolevulinic, regarding treatment response and adverse effects in patients with non-melanoma skin cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Non-melanoma skin cancer patients have received six cycles of 0.5 mL intralesional 20% w/v 5-aminolevulinic acid through a conventional needle (CPT cohort, n = 158), or plum-blossom needle (BPT cohort, n = 118), or needle-free injection (NPT cohort, n = 105) followed by irradiation with a red light. Data regarding treatment response and adverse effects were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

The treatment response was higher among patients of NPT cohort than those of CPT (p = .012, q = 3.981) and BPT (p = .012, q = 3.472) cohorts. Conventional and plum-blossom needle injections therapies were reported scar, local redness, and worse cosmetic appearance in the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

Needle-free injection of intralesional 5-aminolevulinic acid followed by irradiation with red light therapy were reported high treatment response with manageable adverse effects for non-melanoma skin cancer patients than that of conventional and plum-blossom needle injections.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Photodynamic therapy as an alternative treatment in patients with invasive cutaneous SCC where surgery is not feasible: Single center experience

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) as an alternative treatment in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) patients who are not fit for surgery. Thirty-three invasive cSCC patients who, for some reasons, cannot undergo surgery were enrolled in this study. All patients received plum blossom needle (PBN) pretreated ALA-PDT combined with topical application of 5% imiquimod cream. Two patients dropped the study because of severe pain and two patients discontinue treatment due to lack of response. Of 29 patients, who completed the treatment, 5 patients had complete response after 2-9 sessions of PDT and these patients had no recurrence till 18 months after treatment. Twenty-four patients achieved partial response and are satisfied with treatment outcome in terms of decreased symptoms and improved quality of life. PBN pretreated PDT in combination with topical imiquimod may be a viable treatment option for non resectable cSCC lesions.

Factors Affecting Depth of Penetration in Microneedling- and Laser-Assisted Drug Delivery: The Importance of Timing of Topical Application

BACKGROUND

Microneedling- and laser-assisted drug delivery are emerging techniques used to treat various conditions. However, key parameters affecting drug penetration remain unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the importance of timing of topical application, needle length, and device type for drug delivery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Skin harvested from cosmetic surgeries was treated with black ink applied before or after treatment with a microneedling pen (MP), roller, or fractional ablative CO2 laser, and incubated for different time intervals. Ink penetration was additionally tested using different needle lengths. Sandwich estimator was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Ink applied before MP penetrated deeper compared to ink applied afterward at 1 and 3 hours, and roller microneedling in both the ink-before and -after scenarios at 1, 3, and 6 hours (p < .05). Microneedling demonstrated lateral extension of ink beyond microchannels with increased ink penetration over time. CO2 laser demonstrated ink localization within microthermal zones without time-dependent increases in depth after 30 minutes. Ink penetration increases by 0.06 mm per 1 mm increase in needle length.

CONCLUSION

Ink applied before MP results in the deepest penetration of ink. Microneedling offers unique advantages in transdermal delivery as its channels exhibit increasing penetration over time and lateral extension of product.