5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy combined with CO_2 laser therapy in treatment of condyloma acuminatum

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) combined with CO_2 laser therapy in treatment of condyloma acuminatum.Methods One hundred and eleven patients with condyloma acuminatum admitted from April to December 2010 were enrolled in the study.Seventeen cases whose condylomas are at urethral orifice,vinculum or cervix uteri were treated with ALA-PDT alone.Other 94 cases were randomly assigned into two groups with 47 in each,who were treated by ALA-PDT combined with CO_2 laser therapy or C_2 laser alone,respectively. Results The clearance rate was 93.4%(16/17) and the relapse rate was 11.8%(2/17) in patients treated with ALA-PDT alone.The relapse rates of ALA-PDT combined with C_2 laser and C_2 laser alone were 14.9%(7/47) and 55.3%(26/47),respectively(x~2=16.857,P0.001).Conclusion ALA-PDT is effective in treatment of condyloma acuminatum in special locations with low relapse rate. ALA-PDT combined with C_2 laser therapy has a better effect and lower relapse rate in treating condyloma acuminatum than C_2 laser therapy alone.