Zusammenfassung
Background and Objective. Indocyanine green (ICG) is a clinically approved dye for diagnostic purposes,which has an absorption peak in the near infrared and remains intravascular due to a high plasma protein binding. Its therapeutic potential in combination with a diode laser was studied for well vascularized cutaneous tumors. Patients/Methods. Six male patients (mean age 49.2 years) with ...
Zusammenfassung
Background and Objective. Indocyanine green (ICG) is a clinically approved dye for diagnostic purposes,which has an absorption peak in the near infrared and remains intravascular due to a high plasma protein binding. Its therapeutic potential in combination with a diode laser was studied for well vascularized cutaneous tumors. Patients/Methods. Six male patients (mean age 49.2 years) with AIDS-related Kaposi sarcomas (n=30) received ICG (2x2 mg/kg i.v.) followed directly by irradiation with a diode laser (lambda =805 nm,100 J/cm(2), 3W/cm(2)). Results. All macular and plaque-type lesions (n=27) showed primarily blister- and crust formation and healed within 14 days. Only one out of the 3 nodular lesions treated showed complete remission. The only side effect recognized was a mild burning sensation during irradiation. Nineteen lesions resolved completely leaving a slight atrophic scar, in three lesions a transient postinflammatory hyperpigmentation occurred. Within the follow-up period of 2 years no recurrence was detected. Conclusions. The ICG-mediated photochemotherapy is an effective palliative therapeutic modality with a low rate of side effects in the treatment of macular or plaque-type cutaneous Kaposi sarcomas.