Long-Term Outcomes and Predictors of Response with Imiquimod for Lentigo Maligna

The availability of nonsurgical treatments for lentigo maligna (LM) is limited. Among those studied, cryotherapy and radiation have both shown some efficacy, although these are not considered first-line approaches. In this study, investigators examined the long-term outcomes and predictors of response in LM treated primarily with imiquimod.

In a prospective, single-center, open-label, nonrandomized trial in 89 patients with proven LM and a median 4.8 years of follow-up, 16 patients relapsed (18%). Factors that significantly predicted increased risk for local recurrence included total number of melanocytes per millimeter of epidermis, number of basal and suprabasal melanocytes, and numbers of pagetoid spreading melanocytes. Follicle involveme…