Premium
Immunocryosurgery ‐ an effective combinational modality for Bowen's disease
Author(s) -
Gaitanis Georgios,
Bassukas Ioannis D.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
dermatologic therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.595
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1529-8019
pISSN - 1396-0296
DOI - 10.1111/dth.12371
Subject(s) - medicine , imiquimod , bowen's disease , cryosurgery , lesion , cryotherapy , clearance , surgery , hypopigmentation , dermatology , single center , scalp , basal cell , urology
Bowen's disease (BD) is widely treated with topical imiquimod or cryosurgery. The present single‐center retrospective study reports on the application of standardized immunocryosurgery (cryosurgery during ongoing topical imiquimod) for the treatment of BD. Daily imiquimod 5% cream was applied on BD lesion and a 5 mm rim around it in 5‐week treatment cycles; cryosurgery (liquid N 2 , open spray; 2 cycles, 15 second each) was performed at the end of the second week of each treatment cycle. Between 1/1/2009 and 31/12/2014 21 patients (mean age ± SD: 74.4 ± 8.0 years; 12 males) with 24 lesions (mean maximum diameter ± SD: 45.8 ± 50.9 mm; range: 9–200 mm) completed the protocol. The anatomic distribution of the lesions included face/scalp ( Ν = 14), neck/trunk ( Ν = 6), and extremities ( Ν = 4). Twenty‐one out of twenty‐four lesions with diameter <80 mm cleared after one immunocryosurgery cycle, while the rest three tumors (with the largest diameters: 100, 180, 200 mm) required two treatment cycles for complete response (clearance rate: 100%). After a median follow‐up of 24 months (range: 6–60 months) the overall effectiveness was 91.7%: 22/24 lesions remained in sustained complete remission. With the exception of a variable degree of hypopigmentation, the cosmetic outcome was satisfactory even for extensive lesions. Immunocryosurgery, is feasible and highly efficacious minimally‐invasive treatment alternative for BD.