Photodynamic therapy: cavitary photoillumination of malignant cerebral tumours using a laser coupled inflatable balloon.

Interest in photodynamic therapy of malignant brain tumours has been growing in recent years as intra-operative laser applications become more available. We have developed an inflatable balloon which can be coupled to an argon dye pump laser in order to deliver light to a brain tumour cavity created by the subtotal resection of tumour. Eight patients with primary malignant brain tumors have been treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) using this device. The 8 patients tolerated the treatment well; morbidity attributable to the PDT was acceptably low.