What is Levulan Photodynamic Therapy?

Levulan Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality that uses a photo sensitizer (levulan), light and molecular oxygen to selectively kill cells. When localized in the target tissue, the levulan is activated by light to produce oxygen intermediates that destroy target tissue cells. The easy access of skin to light-based therapy has led dermatologists to apply PDT to cutaneous disorders. In dermatology, PDT has been successful in treating actinic keratoses, basal cell carcinoma and Bowen’s disease. The introduction of 20% aminolevulinic acid, which does not make patients susceptible to phototoxicity for extended periods, has resulted in less significant morbidity associated with PDT. This has lead to renewed interest in and experimentation with photodynamic therapy not only for nonmelanoma skin cancer and premalignant lesions but also in the treatment of acne and as an adjuvant to photorejuventation procedures.

Levulan Photodynamic therapy treats the following conditions:

1. Mild to severe acne and acne scarring
2. Enhancement of photorejuvenation
3. Ability to use light sources not traditionally used for photorejuvenation
4. Diffuse actinic keratoses
5. Superficial basal cell carcinoma
6. Sebaceous skin and sebaceous gland hyperplasia

Advantages of Levulan Photodynamic Therapy:

For Acne:

1. It kills the acne bacteria as well as reducing sebaceous glands – the two things that cause acne
2. It restores the skin integrity to a large degree, resulting in sometimes amazing improvement of not only acne but also acne scarring
3. It can cause long-lasting remissions

For Photorejuvenation:

1. It can shorten the number of IPL treatments from 5 to 3
2. You can utilize blue light sources that wouldn’t by itself be able to treat sun damaged skin (ie pigment and vascular lesions)
3. You can take away precancerous cells, something that you cannot do with traditional photorejuvention
4. You can reduce the oiliness of sebaceous skin, or reduce sebaceous gland hyperplasia

Benefits of Levulan Photodynamic Therapy:

Levulan Photodynamic Therapy is an effective treatment for actinic keratoses, which can eventually turn into skin cancer. Photorejuvention alone has already been effective in the treatment of rosacea and hyperpigmentation, but by adding Levulan we are able to treat it more effectively and usually in fewer treatments. Studies for using Levulan Photodynamic Therapy for acne have yielded good results as well.