Treatment of nasal squamous cell carcinoma with combination of surgery and photodynamic therapy

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a common malignant skin tumor. Some invasive cSCC can cause severe cosmetic damage; therefore, comprehensive measures should be taken. Here, we present a case of a 48-year-old male patient with invasive cSCC on the nose. The lesion recurred twice after excision in the other hospital. After admission, the patient underwent surgical excision; however, the tumor remained because of its deep infiltration, and we left the wound exposed without repair. During the period of open-wound, the patient received 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) to completely clear the residual tumors, and multipoint biopsies were performed to monitor the tumor remission process. We reconstructed the defect by using bilateral flaps after complete remission. The tumor did not recur in 63 months of follow-up after reconstruction. Open-wound treatment should be considered for tumors that occur at high-risk sites such as the nose. Surgery combined with PDT may be an efficient method for treating cSCC.