Superficial shaving combined with photodynamic therapy is effective as a treatment for condyloma acuminatum

Abstract

Abstract Condyloma acuminatum is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by human papillomavirus. Its prevalence and recurrence rates are high. While there are multiple treatment options for condyloma acuminatum, no single therapy form is effective in achieving complete remission. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was shown to be very promising as a treatment option for condyloma acuminatum. However, for some patients the therapeutic result after a single PDT session is not satisfactory. Thus, it is necessary to develop an effective treatment method for recalcitrant condyloma acuminatum. We hypothesize that suboptimal therapeutic results after a single PDT may be caused by an insufficient penetration of the photosensitizer into the tissue. Here, we applied a combination of superficial shaving and PDT to address this issue. All patients were satisfied with the effect of the treatment, and their quality of life improved significantly. Pain was the major adverse event during treatment but was acceptable to all patients. Therefore, superficial shaving in combination with PDT is safe and effective.

Keywords

• condyloma acuminatum
• photodynamic therapy
• recalcitrant condyloma acuminatum
• superficial shaving