Objective: This meta-analysis was designed to assess the efficacy of topical 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) in Chinese patients with condylomata acuminata (CA).
Methods: Electronic literature databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database) were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published prior to October 2012. Only RCTs that compared ALA-PDT to non-ALA-PDT for patients with genital condylomata were selected. The outcomes included the recurrence rate and adverse events. The risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as the ALA-PDT vs. without ALA-PDT.
Results: Twenty RCTs composed of 1903 patients (ALA-PDT, n = 1106; non-ALA-PDT, n = 797) were included in the meta-analysis. ALA-PDT decreased the recurrence rate within 12 week after treatment (vs. without ALA-PDT, RR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.22-0.35) and 24 week after treatment (vs. without ALA-PDT, RR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.17-0.34) in a fixed-effect model. The common adverse events related ALA-PDT included a mild burning and/or stinging sensation, erythema, mild edema, erosion, and hyperpigmentation.
Conclusion: Local application of ALA-PDT reduced recurrence rate vs. without ALA-PDT. The use of ALA-PDT should be considered as a feasible therapy for the treatment of CA.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.