The Use of Imiquimod in the Treatment of Periocular Tumours

Abstract

Purpose: To review our experience with 5% topical Imiquimod in the treatment of periocular tumours.

Methods: Imiquimod, an imidazoquinoline, is an immune response modifier which has been shown to have potent anti-viral and anti-tumour activity. We present a retrospective case series of 5 patients who received topical Imiquimod for various eyelid tumours. Two patients were diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid, one patient with actinic keratosis, one with intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma (Bowen’s disease) and one patient had concomitant squamous cell carcinoma and intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma.

Results: All 5 patients, with various eyelid neoplastic/pre-neoplastic pathology, responded well with clinical resolution, to treatment with topical Imiquimod. There were few adverse reactions to periocular use of 5% Imiquimod, with only 1 patient developing a chemical conjunctivitis which resolved on dose reduction.

Conclusions: There is limited experience and published literature on the use of topical 5% Imiquimod in the treatment of periocular tumours. In our experience, it is a safe and effective treatment for periocular lesions, including actinic keratosis, intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first published description of the successful use of 5% Imiquimod in treating moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelid.

KEYWORDS::

• Imiquimod
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Periocular tumours

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.