Work

Pediatric genital warts successfully treated with photodynamic therapy

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Genital warts (GWs) are the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). In adults, the primary mode of transmission is through sexual contact, whereas in children, it can occur through skin-to-skin or skin-to-mucosa contact and be sexual or non-sexual. The increasing prevalence of GWs in children has renewed the interest in therapeutic management, which still presents a unique challenge, being influenced by many variables, including size, quantity, and location of warts, as well as the presence of comorbidities. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has already shown encouraging results in treating viral warts in adult patients, but its use is still not standardized in the pediatric population. On this topic, we report the case of an otherwise healthy 5-year-old child affected by GWs, successfully treated with three sessions of PDT with 10% 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) at one-month intervals. Our case is paradigmatic of the potential of PDT to treat difficult lesions in a pediatric setting.

Source: Dermatology Reports

DOI: 10.4081/dr.2024.9979

Authors: Federica Li Pomi, Andrea D'Aloja, Antonio Di Tano, Mario Vaccaro, Francesco Borgia

Institutions: University of Palermo, University of Messina

Language: English

Topic: Photodynamic Therapy Research Studies

Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $539