title: Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis by photodynamic therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cutaneous leishmaniasis represents a common health problem and standard treatments are often ineffective or yield poor cosmetic results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with paromomycin sulfate in 10 lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five lesions were treated by PDT with Metvix (Photocure, Oslo, Norway) and 75 J/cm(2) red light. PDT was performed twice weekly and, after 12 weeks, once weekly. The other 5 lesions were treated with paromomycin sulfate once daily. All nonresponding lesions of the paromomycin-treated plaques finally also underwent PDT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 5 lesions treated by PDT and 2 of the paromomycin sulfate-treated plaques were clinically and histologically Leishmania free. Three lesions with poor response to paromomycin sulfate finally responded to subsequent PDT. Ten months after therapy there was no recurrence, and cosmetic outcome after PDT was excellent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDT may be an effective therapeutic alternative in cutaneous leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology at Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany. kerstin.lang@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gardlo
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Horska
authors.forename: Claes David
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Enk
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rauch
authors.forename: Mossad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megahed
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruzicka
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fritsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000563:Amebicides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009824:Ointments; D010303:Paromomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000563:Amebicides; D009824:Ointments; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; C475457:methyl 5-aminolevulinate; D010303:Paromomycin; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid