THERAPEUTICAL NOTES   

Esperienze Dermatologiche 2010 September;12(3):173-6

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of extramammary Paget’s disease

Burtica C., Misciali C., Baraldi C., Fanti P. A., Benini C.

Sezione di Dermatologia e Venereologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, dell’Invecchiamento e Malattie Nefrologiche, Bologna, Italia

Extramammary Paget disease is a a rare intraepithelial apocrine adenocarcinoma generally localised in apocrine gland-rich areas like the vulva, the male genitals, perianal region and armpits. In most cases primary tumours appear as intraepithelial adenocarcinomas in situ which, in time, may also become invasive. Radical surgical removal is the first treatment for primary extramammary Paget disease. In inoperable cases the procedure continues with radiation therapy, electrodissecation and curettage, cryosurgery, topical 5-fluorouracyl and laser CO2. Recently, in selected cases, treatment with photodynamic therapy has been proposed with the purpose of having light selectively destroy cells that have accumulated phosensitising substance (delta-aminolevulinic acid, methyul-aminolevulinic acid).