Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for cutaneous bowen disease. Methods We electronically searched PubMed, OVID, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CBM, and CNKI databases from January, 1966 to March, 2010. The language was confined to English and Chinese. We screened the retrieved randomized controlled trials (RCTs) according to the predefined inclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of the included studies, and performed meta-analysis with RevMan 5.0.23 software. Results Five RCTs were included; among all 496 skin leisions on 354 patients, 237 were in trial group while the other 259 were in control group. The healing rate of PDT was higher than that of both placebo (RR=4.16, 95%CI 1.69 to 10.25) and topical fluorouracil (RR=1.38, 95%CI 1.12 to 1.71), and was similar to that of cryotherapy. The cosmetic outcome evaluation of PDT was better than that of both cryotherapy (RR=1.48, 95%CI 1.18 to 1.87) and topical fluorouracil treatment (RR=1.51, 95%CI 1.05 to 2.15). The recurrence rate of PDT was lower than that of placebo (RR=0.29, 95%CI 0.10 to 0.86), and was similar with cryotherapy or topical fluorouracil treatment respectively. The healing rate of PDT with red light source was higher than that of PDT with green light (RR=1.29, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.65), and the recurrence rate of the former was lower than that of the latter (RR=0.20, 95%CI 0.05 to 0.87). There was no difference between 2-fold illumination scheme and single illumination scheme in the healing rate or the cosmetic outcome evaluation. The adverse effects include pain, cacesthesia, inflammatory reaction, hyperpigmentation, and crusting. Conclusion The limited evidence indicates that the efficacy of PDT is better than those of placebo, cryotherapy or topical fluorouracil treatment, the recurrence rate of PDT is lower than that of placebo, and the adverse effects are similar comparing to control groups. The PDT with red light source is superior to PDT with green light source for having better effectiveness, less recurrence and similar adverse effects. The 2-fold illumination scheme and single illumination scheme have similar efficacy, but the former is more painful.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of a modified double keystone design perforator island flap in repairing large skin and soft tissue defects in the posterior midline lumbar region following extensive excision for Bowen disease. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 9 patients with Bowen disease in the posterior midline lumbar region admitted between January 2020 and June 2024. There were 4 males and 5 females; ages ranged from 55 to 80 years, with a mean age of 68.9 years. Lesions were located at L1-5 levels and concentrated near the midline posterior to the spinous processes. And the lesions were confined to the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The size of residual defects following extensive excision ranged from 6.0 cm×5.5 cm to 10.0 cm×8.5 cm. The modified double keystone design perforator island flaps were designed with the defect as the center. Subcutaneous and adipose tissues were dissected without incising the deep fascia, while preserving perforator vessels. The bilateral flaps were advanced toward the midline using V-Y advancement sutures; the size of unilateral flap ranged from 8.5 cm×3.5 cm to 15.0 cm×6.0 cm. The donor sites were directly sutured. Results Operations were successfully completed in all 9 cases. The operation time ranged from 80 to 100 minutes (mean, 90 minutes); intraoperative blood loss ranged from 20 to 80 mL (mean, 41.1 mL); and the length of hospital stay ranged from 9 to 15 days (mean, 10.4 days). All flaps survived, with only 1 case of mild fat liquefaction at the recipient site. All patients were followed up 9-18 months (mean, 12.4 months). All flaps were similar in texture, thickness, and color to the surrounding skin, with no obvious “cat’s ear” deformity observed. The lumbar mobility was normal, with no sensation of tightness or pain. At last follow-up, the subjective satisfaction, as assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, ranged from 7 to 10, with a mean of 8.7. No tumor recurrence was observed during follow-up. Conclusion For large defects resulting from extensive resection of Bowen disease in the posterior midline lumbar region, the use of a modified double keystone design perforator island flap offers the advantages of reliable blood supply, uniform tension distribution, no need for skin grafting, and minimal trauma at donor site.