Basal cell carcinoma in post-traumatic scar successfully treated with thulium laser and photodynamic therapy

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is one major risk factor for BCC. Other less common risk factors are ionizing radiation, arsenic exposure, genetic alterations, skin trauma and skin scars. Several therapies could be used to manage BCC, including conventional surgery, Mohs’ surgery, cryosurgery, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and CO2 laser. In this report, PDT was performed after local pretreatment with thulium 1927 nm laser, enhancing the aminolevulinic acid (MAL) absorption and increasing the penetration depth of irradiation