MONTEREY, CALIF. Curettage followed by imiquimod produces better results on basal cell carcinoma than do electrodesiccation and curettage or imiquimod alone, Dr. Abel Torres reported at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association.
Lesions removed with electrodesiccation and curettage commonly have hypertrophic scarring, said Dr. Torres of Loma Linda (Calif.) Medical Center. Imiquimod alone can have relatively good cosmetic results, but there may be some persistent redness and hypopigmentation. Lesions treated with curettage followed by 6 weeks of imiquimod have less persistent redness and hypopigmentation.
The multicenter study enrolled 22 patients at each site, with approximately 60 so far completing the 1-year follow-up.
After treatment with vigorous curettage, and after a 1-week waiting period, patients applied topical 5% imiquimod to the lesion sites 5 days a week for 6 weeks.
Dr. Torres cautioned that this is an off-label use of imiquimod.