Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers an effective treatment in several dermatological disorders. Herein, PDT has been assessed for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in a series of six patients from Pakistan.
Cases Presentation: Six patients presenting with CL lesions at different face sites (i.e., cheek, nose, and lip) were treated with methylaminolevulinate-based PDT. The treatment was completed in three sessions, where a light dose of 75 J/cm2 was delivered through a low power (300 mW) red laser (wavelength = 635 nm) in each session.
Results: The assessment of the disease at 10 months follow-up illustrated complete response in 5 patients, while partial response in 1 patient.
Conclusion: This case series study demonstrated that PDT may offer a viable treatment option to the CL patients.
Key words: cutaneous leishmaniasis, PDT, dermatology, laser therapy, protozoan parasite
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