Role of Photodynamic Therapy for the Upper Gut.

It may be questioned if PDT is still relevant for practicing gastroenterologists since other types of therapy have currently gained momentum. Important aspects of PDT that continue its development are it's intrinsic applicability to the luminal GI tract where there are often areas of mechanical narrowing, unusual topography, and difficult accessibility where a modality that does not require contact or optical visualization has advantages. Although not used as often in the upper gastrointestinal tract for it's original approved indications such as esophageal cancer or Barrett's esophagus, its value in biliary lesions appears to be well substantiated. In this paper, we will review its current application in the upper gastrointestinal tract.