Comparative Study of Photodynamic Therapy vs. CO2 Laser Therapy in Treatment of Actinic Keratoses

Prospective, Single-center, Investigator-blinded, Randomized, Half-side, Comparative Study of Photodynamic Therapy vs. CO2 Laser Therapy in Treatment of Actinic Keratoses

The purpose of this study is to determine whether photodynamic therapy or CO2 laser therapy is superior in the treatment of actinic keratoses with respect to efficacy and side effects.

Ablative laser therapy and photodynamic therapy are widely used and accepted therapeutic methods to treat multiple actinic keratoses, yet comparative studies are rare. The purpose of this study is to compare both treatments intraindividually with respect to treatment efficacy and side effects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• men and women with clinical and histological diagnosed, symmetrical distributed actinic keratoses
• at least 2 actinic keratoses, on each of both treatment areas at least one
• Patients must be 18 years or older.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age 17 years or younger
• lack of patient's informed consent for any of the two treatments
• contraindication for Co2 therapy or for photodynamic therapy
• skin infection in the treatment area