title: Efficacy, safety and tolerability of field treatment of actinic keratosis with ingenol mebutate 0.015 % gel: a single center case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Actinic keratosis (AK) is a cutaneous intraepithelial neoplasm appearing within areas referred as 'fields of cancerization'. AK can progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Treatments that target both clinically visible and subclinical AKs in cancerization fields are able to reduce the risk of malignant progression. Ingenol mebutate gel is a new effective topical therapy for AK, used once daily for 2 or 3 days depending on the location of lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three elderly patients with multiple non-hypertrophic AKs within a contiguous 25-cm(2) treatment area on the face or scalp were treated with ingenol mebutate 0.015 % gel once daily for three consecutive days and followed up over a period of 57 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although individual local responses to treatment varied, all patients had total clearance of AK lesions without any sign of recurrence. In addition, all patients said that they were satisfied with the effectiveness of ingenol mebutate treatment and the aesthetic outcome, and would be prepared to use this agent again to treat AK in the future, if necessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These three cases demonstrate that ingenol mebutate 0.015 % gel is effective and well tolerated in a clinical setting, with effective clearance of AK lesions present on the face and scalp, and good patient acceptability.
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bobyr
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanati
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Consales
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Giuliodori
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scalise
authors.affiliation: Dermatological Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Offidani
keywords: Actinic keratosis; Field cancerization; Ingenol mebutate