Clinical Applications of Photodynamic Therapy and Photodynamic Diagnosis

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment applied by a laser system in combination with a photosensitive drug (photosensitizer) that is excited by laser light. Accumulation of the photosensitizer at the disease site and local excitation by laser irradiation make it possible to selectively treat the diseased region, preserving the functionality and appearance of the treated area. Photodynamic Diagnosis (PDD) enables the identification of a specific disease site through the capturing of fluorescence generated by the photosensitizer. It is expected PDD will prove useful in identifying the disease site for Glioblastoma, amalignant brain tumor for which clear boundaries cannot be easily detected.