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Topical tretinoin treatment in basal cell carcinoma
S Brenner1, R Wolf, D I Dascalu
1Department of Dermatology (SB, DID), Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Background:
The efficiency of topical tretinoin was examined in a patient with basal cell carcinomas (BCC) for which conventional means of removal was inappropriate.
Methods:
Topical tretinoin was used to treat multiple arsenic-induced superficial BCCs in a 64-year-old woman. Topical tretinoin (0.05% twice daily) was administered to four lesions for 3 weeks followed by a 3-week interruption.
Results:
After three cycles of treatment clinical healing of all the lesions was observed. Histopathological examination of the lesional biopsies showed no evidence of a tumor. However, 9 months later all four lesions relapsed and surgical excision disclosed BCC.
Conclusion:
The data indicate that topical tretinoin treatment of multiple superficial BCCs induces clinical and pathological regression of the lesions with a high rate of relapse. This report suggests that topical tretinoin is not an effective therapy for the cure of arsenic-induced superficial BCCs.