Longer term assessment of photodynamic therapy for intimal hyperplasia: a pilot study.

Purpose: To determine the potential long term (three or six months) effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in reducing intimal hyperplasia in swine.

Methods: Intimal hyperplasia in the abdominal aortae of swine was created by a combination of fat-supplemented diet and balloon catheter injury prior to PDT. Swine were randomly allocated into one of three groups which received either: (i) both drug and light (PDT), (ii) drug only, or (iii) light only.