Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of verruca planae. Methods: A total of 18 patients with facial verruca planae was treated with ALA-PDT. A 10% ALA emulsion was applied on facial lesions for a 4-h incubation period after azone infiltrating for 30 min. Skin lesions of verruca planae were irradiated with 120 J/cm2 using a 635-nm laser for 10 min. Each patient received at least two sessions at intervals of 15 days. Those with residual lesions after the first session were treated with a third PDT. Before treatment and at each return visit, the lesions were photographed. Patient satisfaction was investigated and therapeutic effect was evaluated at 6 months after termination of the therapy. Results: Fifteen days after the first topical ALA-PDT, 10 patients achieved complete response and 7 patients showed improvement. Complete clinical response was observed in 17 patients after two sessions. At 6 months after termination, only one case relapsed among the complete clinical response patients, and the patient satisfaction rate was 88.89%. Conclusion: PDT, utilizing the topical application of 10% ALA, has a good result and excellent cosmetic effects for the treatment of verruca planae.
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