5% Imiquimod Cream in the Treatment of Bowen's Disease / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bowen's disease is a challenging condition to treat because lesions often affect the elderly who are usually intolerable to invasive treatment modalities and lesions are often located at sites that heal poorly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of 5% imiquimod cream for the treatment of Bowen's disease. METHODS: Eleven patients with biopsy-proven Bowen's disease were treated with once-daily or twice-daily self- application of 5% imiquimod cream for a maximum of 16 weeks. RESULTS: Nine of ten (90%) patients who completed the treatment schedule showed complete clinicopathologic regression. One (11%) patient showed recurrence of Bowen's disease on the treated site. 5% imiquimod cream was generally well-tolerated and no serious side effects were observed. CONCLUSION: 5% imiquimod cream appears to be an effective modality for treatment of Bowen's disease and might represent a valuable alternative to surgery or other invasive treatment methods.