LARGE SUPERFICIAL BASAL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE UPPERLIMB SUCCESSFULLY TREATED WITH IMIQUIMOD 5% CREAM

Superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) usually appears as multiple, slow-growing, shiny pink or red, slightly scaly lesions that most often develop on the trunk and shoulders. It may attain giant proportions due primarily to recurrence and neglect, causing extensive local invasion and disfigurement. Large lesions of sBCC, may be difficult to treat due to the potentially large resulting defect after removal. Imiquimod is an immune response modifier approved by the FDA for the treatment of superficial BCC lesions and its use is gradually expanded to various off-label precancerous and cancerous skin lesions. We report a case of large sBCC present for over the previous 4 years successfully treated with imiquimod 5% cream once daily 5x/week for a 16-week period.