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Resolution of vulvitis circumscripta plasmacellularis with topical imiquimod: two case reports
H L Ee1, G Yosipovitch, R Chan
1National Skin Centre, 1 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308205, Republic of Singapore. ee_melvin@hotmail.com
Insights
Vulvitis circumscripta plasmacellularis (VCP), a rare condition, often resists treatment. Topical imiquimod effectively resolved VCP lesions in two patients resistant to other therapies.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Gynecologic Dermatology
- Vulvar Pathology
Background:
- Vulvitis circumscripta plasmacellularis (VCP) is a rare vulvar condition.
- VCP is known for its resistance to conventional treatments.
- Previous treatments like intralesional interferon-alpha have shown efficacy but carry risks such as myelosuppression.
Observation:
- Two cases of VCP are presented.
- Lesions in both patients were refractory to antibiotics, topical corticosteroids, and oral corticosteroids.
- Topical imiquimod was used as a treatment trial for these resistant cases.
Findings:
- Topical imiquimod treatment led to complete resolution of VCP lesions in both reported cases.
- This suggests imiquimod's potential efficacy in managing recalcitrant VCP.
- The mechanism may involve imiquimod's ability to induce interferon-alpha production.
Implications:
- Topical imiquimod represents a promising therapeutic option for vulvitis circumscripta plasmacellularis.
- It offers an alternative for patients with treatment-resistant VCP.
- Further research into imiquimod for VCP is warranted to confirm these findings and assess long-term outcomes.
Abstract:
Vulvitis circumscripta plasmacellularis (VCP) is a rare but well-described entity. It is notorious for its recalcitrant nature to various modalities of treatment. Intralesional interferon-alpha showed some promise, with complete resolution, but is coupled with the side-effect of myelosuppression. Topical imiquimod is a novel immune response modifier with the ability to induce the production of interferon-alpha. In this paper, we report two cases of VCP whose lesions were resistant to antibiotics, topical and oral corticosteroids, but resolved after a treatment trial with imiquimod.
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