The Journal of Laryngology & Otology

Table of Contents - 2009 - Volume 123, Issue 02  

Clinical Records

Successful treatment of intranasal papillomata with imiquimod cream in a human immunodeficiency virus positive patient

A Fernández-Casadoa1, R M Pujola1 c1, M Amata2 and F Gallardoa1

a1 Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar-IMAS (Institut Municipal d'Assistència Sanitària), Barcelona, Spain

a2 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital del Mar-IMAS (Institut Municipal d'Assistència Sanitària), Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Objectives: To report a new, alternative treatment for nasal papillomata in human immunodeficiency virus positive patients with multiple recurrences after surgical removal.

Case report: A human immunodeficiency virus positive patient presented with multiple, recurrent nasal papillomata which developed after repeated surgical removal procedures. In this patient, complete and persistent resolution of the lesions was achieved after topical treatment with imiquimod cream.

Conclusion: Imiquimod is a class of non-nucleoside imidazoquinolinamines which promotes local cytokine release from antigen-presenting cells inducing a T-h1 dominant cell-mediated response against virus-infected cells. Topical imiquimod 5 per cent cream, applied for four to 16 weeks, may offer some benefit in the management of recurrent nasal papillomata in human immunodeficiency virus positive patients. Such treatment may be preferable to surgery or destructive therapeutic options when patients are unwilling or are poor surgical candidates, and also avoids potential surgical sequelae such as scar formation and stenosis.

(Accepted March 07 2008)

(Online publication May 19 2008)

Key words

Correspondence:

c1 Address for correspondence: Dr Ramon M Pujol, Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar-IMAS, Passeig Marítim 25-29, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. Fax: 0034 932483328 E-mail: rpujol@imas.imim.es

Footnotes

Dr R M Pujol takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper.

Competing interests: None declared

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