Recent Advancement on Photodynamic Diagnosis and Therapy in the Management of Brain Tumors

Abstract

The authors described the recent advancement of photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) and therapy (PDT) in neurosurgical field. Intra-operative PDD using 5-aminolevlulinic acid (5-ALA) and violet blue excitation light is now recognized as one of the multidisciplinary treatment modalities for malignant gliomas. The results of PDD in a series of 38 patients who treated in Osaka University Hospital between 2004 and 2006 were presented thoroughly, as well as the review of clinical trial studies in the world.Although the methodology of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for malignant brain tumors is not establishedyet, various PDT clinical trials showed promising results of PDT, as well as the needs for some improvements on photosensitizers and development of simpler and more efficient light delivery systems for neurosurgery.