Microneedle-assisted incubation during aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy of actinic keratoses: a randomized controlled evaluator-blind trial

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a common method of treating actinic keratoses (AKs) that compares favorably to other treatment methods.(1,2) However, treatment is limited by prolonged incubation times required for the medication to penetrate the stratum corneum.(3) Microneedles (MNs) are micrometer scale needles that are capable of puncturing the stratum corneum with minimal pain.(4,5) They have been utilized for various applications, including enhanced drug delivery.6 Few studies have evaluated MNs in conjunction with PDT for AKs.(7) We sought to assess the utility of short solid MN arrays that penetrate to the epidermis in shortening the incubation time for aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in PDT for AKs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.