Erythroplasia of Queyrat treated with imiquimod 5% cream: The necessity of regimen guidelines

Soluble Factors and Receptors Involved in Skin Innate Immunity-What Do We Know So Far?

The pattern recognition receptors, complement system, inflammasomes, antimicrobial peptides, and cytokines are innate immunity soluble factors. They sense, either directly or indirectly, the potential threats and produce inflammation and cellular death. High interest in their modulation has emerged lately, acknowledging they are involved in many cutaneous inflammatory, infectious, and neoplastic disorders. We extensively reviewed the implication of soluble factors in skin innate immunity. Furthermore, we showed which molecules target these factors, how these molecules work, and how they have been used in dermatological practice. Cytokine inhibitors have paved the way to a new era in treating moderate to severe psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

[Premalignant lesions of the penis]

The dermatological conditions that affect the penis are diverse, and may be typical of this area or be part of systemic diseases. The anamnesis and inspection are often sufficient for diagnosis, but other times, it is difficult to distinguish between benign dermatoses and premalignant lesions. The delay in consulting, due to fear, shame or the doctor's own ignorance, can cause the lesions to progress to malignancy and require aggressive treatments that can alter the quality of life and physical and mental health of the patient. We must suspect premalignancy or malignancy any lesion of the penis that is not modified with specific or empirical treatment and refer for biopsy. HPV infections are the origin of 50% of premalignant lesions. After treatment and due to possible relapses and progression to infiltrating carcinomas, a strict follow-up plan is necessary.

Treatment of Cutaneous Melanoma Harboring SMO p.Gln216Arg Mutation with Imiquimod: An Old Drug with New Results

Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer and its incidence is growing worldwide. In the last ten years, the therapeutic scenario of this disease has been revolutionized by the introduction of targeted therapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors. However, in patients with many lesions and bulky tumors, in which surgery is no longer feasible, there is a need for new treatment options. Here we report, for the first time to our knowledge, a clinical case where a melanoma patient harboring the SMO p.Gln216Arg mutation has been treated with imiquimod, showing a complete and durable response. To better explain this outstanding response to the treatment, we transfected a melanoma cell line (MeWo) with the SMO p.Gln216Arg mutation in order to evaluate its role in response to the imiquimod treatment. Moreover, to better demonstrate that the antitumor activity of imiquimod was due to its role in suppressing the oncogenic SMO signaling pathway, independently of its immune modulating function, an in vivo experiment has been performed. This clinical case opens up a new scenario for the treatment of melanoma patients identifying a new potentially druggable target.

Efficacy of topical photodynamic therapy in the treatment of Erythroplasia of Queyrat

Erythroplasia of Queyrat (EQ) is an intraepidermal carcinoma in situ presenting clinically as a sharply demarcated, slightly raised erythematosus plaque on the glans penis or the inner side of the foreskin. Various treatment modalities for EQ have been proposed, including electrocautery and curettage, topical 5-floururacil cream, imiquimod cream, isotretinoin, cryotherapy, laser therapy, radiotherapy, ingenol mebutate gel and Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). Most of these treatments are limited by low clearance rates and frequent relapses. Surgical treatment including local excision, Mohs micrographic surgery and partial or total penectomy, ensures adequate healing rates. However, discomfort consequent to surgical treatment might be unacceptable. Topical PDT using the methyl ester of 5- aminolaevulinic acid (MAL) is an established non-surgical treatment of cutaneous precancerous lesions and skin cancers. We present the case of a 60-year-old uncircumcised man affected by EQ of the penis successfully treated with MAL-PDT, performed five times, two weeks apart, with no recurrences after 6 years.