Successful treatment of three cases of primary extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva with Imiquimod--proposal of a therapeutic schedule.
OBJECTIVE
Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is an intraepidermal adenocarcinoma of apocrine gland-bearing skin. Although surgery remains the mainstay of treatment, loss of tissue function and high recurrence rates have been reported. Recently, topical Imiquimod has been shown as a safe and effective treatment option for extramammary Paget's disease.


METHODS
Three patients diagnosed of EMPD of the vulva were treated with a daily application of 5% Imiquimod cream for three weeks, followed by an every other day application for an additional three weeks.


RESULTS
Complete clinical and histological remission of the disease was achieved in the three patients. Mild irritation and tenderness were observed as the only side effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on our results, we consider that Imiquimod cream is a safe and effective therapeutic option for the treatment of vulvar EMPD. These promising results warrant further studies to determine the real efficacy and safety of Imiquimod 5% cream for the treatment of this uncommon disease.
Department of Dermatology, Universitary Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain. elenasendagorta@hotmail.com
E
E
Sendagorta
P
P
Herranz
M
M
Feito
P
P
Ramírez
U
U
Floristán
R
R
Feltes
D M
DM
Benito
M
M
Casado
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077271:Imiquimod; D008875:Middle Aged; D010145:Paget Disease, Extramammary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000634:Aminoquinolines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077271:Imiquimod