This article presents a review of the modern specialized medical literature concerned with the applications of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in otorhinolaryngology and medicine at large. The necessity of such a review of the available possibilities provided by PDT is dictated by the ever increasing interest of otorhinolaryngologists and specialists of other medical disciplines in the use of this method for the treatment of tumours and inflammatory diseases as well as their pyogenic complications. The author offers the critical assessment of the experience gained with the application of the known PDT technologies for the management of various pathological conditions. Especially much attention is given to the treatment of acute and chronic inflammation in the otorhinolaryngological practice with special reference to the yet unresolved problems.

The objective of the present study was the enhancement of the effectiveness of the treatment of the consequences of the gunshot wounds and mine-blast injuries inflicted to the face, head, and neck encountered in the otolaryngological practice as well as the prevention of the formation of the large demarcation areas in the injured tissues and the preparation of these tissues for the further restorative treatment. Anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory photodynamic therapy (PDT) as well as light-emitting-diode (LED) phototherapy were carried out in 20 patients who suffered gunshot wounds and mine-blast injuries to the face, head, and neck. The photodynamic therapy was performed with the use of an aqueous solution of methylene blue at a concentration of 0.1%, the 'Alod-1' infrared laser ('Granat' modification, Russia), and the 'AFS-Solaris' light-emitting diode-based phototherapeutic apparatus (Russia). The analysis of the results of the study has demonstrated the high efficiency of the proposed approach that made it possible to prevent the development of severe septic complications, reduce the amount of drug therapy, significantly shorten duration of the treatment, and create the conditions for the earlier rehabilitation and further plastic and cosmetic restoration of the tissue structures.