Recent Advances in Photodynamic Therapy for Vascular Abnormalities

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive therapy that was gradually established as a first-line treatment for vascular abnormalities. Its action depends on the appropriate wavelength of light and photosensitizer to produce toxic oxygen species and cause cell death. Objective: Several new clinical improvements and trends in PDT have been described in recent years. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current data from clinical trials. Methods: In this review, we introduce and generalize the wavelength, duration, dose, strength, and photosensitizer of PDT for the treatment of vascular abnormalities, such as circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas (CCH), choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and capillary malformation (CM). Results: The systematic review findings indicate that the application of PDT is a safe effective method to treat CCH, CNV and CM. However, PDT also has early onset side effects and late onset side effects. Conclusions: Based on the discussion of the effectiveness of PDT, we conclude that PDT has great potential for clinical use, although PDT has possible side effects.