PDT was beneficial in the treatment of acne. As a photoactivating light source, polychromatic visible light was thought to be better for use with acne patients than laser light because of its cost-effectiveness, uniform illumination and time-efficiency in treating large areas.

Japanese woman presented with a 10year history of intractable acne vulgaris lesion on her face. The lesions coincided with her menstrual cycle, and resisted various treatments including 1% nadifloxacin cream, clindamycin hydrochloride lotion, and chemical peeling with glycolic acid and other agents.

Based on the opinion that 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) may be disadvantageous to Oriental patients with dark skin, including Japanese, because the competing chromophore melanin inhibits the photochemical reaction, we assessed the therapeutic effects when Japanese AK were treated with ALA-PDT. Fifty-three lesions in ten patients were followed up for over one year. The cure rates of AK on the face including the neck and on extremities were 81.8% and 55.6%, respectively. The results were approximately the same cure rates as those reported for AK in Caucasian patients. However, a larger number of treatment sessions were required. In the red light range, incoherent light including 630 nm and 670 nm is superior to 630 nm laser light.

A 74-year-old woman with extensive inoperable vulval extramammary Paget's disease who had lymph node and pulmonary metastases, was treated with etoposide (VP16) 100 mg and 5000 cGy electron beam irradiation, which reduced the lesion by 60%. Following these interventions, the residual lesion was successfully treated with repeated photodynamic therapy using delta-aminolaevulinic acid, which achieved a nearly complete remission.