Janneke P.H.M. Kessels, Patty J. Nelemans, Klara Mosterd, Nicole W.J. Kelleners-Smeets, Gertruud A.M. Krekels, Judith U. Ostertag
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-2278

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with light emitting diode (LED) illumination is a frequently used treatment modality for actinic keratosis (AK) with excellent cosmetic outcome. A major disadvantage, however, is the high pain score. Pulsed dye laser (PDL) illumination has been suggested, but the long-term efficacy of this treatment is unknown. In this split-face study we prospectively treated 61 patients with AK, with both LED-PDT and PDL-PDT. The mean change in the number of lesions between the end of follow-up and start of therapy was –4.25 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) –5.07; –3.43) for LED-PDT and –3.88 (95% CI –4,76; –2.99) for PDL-PDT, with a non-significant difference (p=0.258) of –0.46 (95% CI –1.28; 0.35). The percentage decrease from baseline in the total number of AK was 55.8% and 47.8%, respectively, at 12-month follow-up. Visual analogue scale pain score was lower after PDL (mean 2.64) compared with LED illumination (mean 6.47). These findings indicate that PDL-PDT is an effective alternative illumination source fo

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