Laser-assisted photodynamic therapy in proliferative verrucous oral leukoplakia.

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) is a rapidly progressing, easily relapsed, and cancer-prone oral potential malignant disease (OPMD), for which treatment options are currently limited. Non-invasive photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses specific wavelengths of light to excite photosensitizers and generate reactive oxygen species to induce cytotoxic effects, and it is selective for malignant tissues. However, the lesions of PVL often show hyperkeratosis, which limits the penetration of photosensitizers into the tissue and affects the effectiveness of PDT. Laser, a safe and efficient treatment, has shown great advantages in aiding photosensitizer delivery, due to its ability to accelerate the penetration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and improve the accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) in tissues. In the case report, we achieved complete remission and no recurrence at 8 months in a patient with PVL through laser-assisted PDT, which obtained satisfactory clinical effect and well protected the appearance and function of oral cavity.