Treatment of lentigo maligna with topical 1% cidofovir

Cutaneous Applications of the Antiviral Drug Cidofovir: A Review

Background/Objectives: Cidofovir, an antiviral drug approved for cytomegalovirus retinitis, has emerged as an alternative treatment option for virally induced cutaneous and mucocutaneous conditions, as well as being trialed as a treatment for select neoplasms. In this review, we highlight the existing evidence, clinical uses, and rationale of using cidofovir for the treatment of cutaneous pathologies. Methods: A PubMed database literature search was conducted to identify relevant articles for inclusion in this review. Results: Cidofovir has several cutaneous applications in various formulations including intravenous, topical, and subcutaneous administrations. Primarily through case reports, case series, and retrospective reviews, cidofovir has demonstrated efficacy in treating a variety of virally induced conditions-verruca vulgaris, herpes simplex virus, molluscum contagiosum-as well as in adjuvant treatment for select neoplasms. The drug has shown efficacy in immunocompromised and immunocompetent adults and children alike. Conclusions: The body of literature supports the use of cidofovir as an effective and well-tolerated treatment for many viral cutaneous pathologies, and encourages further study for its use as an adjuvant therapy for neoplastic disease.

Microinvasive melanoma: cutaneous pharmacotherapeutic approaches

Surgical excision is the treatment of choice for primary melanomas and radiation therapy is the accepted alternative for the subset of lesions not amenable to surgery. With the recent rise in melanoma incidence, especially in the elderly, there are a growing number of cases that are neither amenable to surgery nor radiation therapy. In this article, we review pharmacotherapeutic approaches to microinvasive melanoma (invasive radial growth phase melanoma) that might be considered in such circumstances. There are no approved drugs for the treatment of primary melanoma and randomized controlled trials with 5 or more years of follow-up have not been performed. The limited studies and numerous case series in the literature on pharmacologic treatment of primary melanoma have focused on topical therapies. Accordingly, we provide a review of the potential pharmacotherapeutic agents in the treatment of microinvasive melanoma by extrapolating from the available limited literature on the use of fluorouracil, azelaic acid, retinoic acid derivatives, interferon (IFN)-α, imiquimod, and other agents for melanoma in situ, invasive melanoma, and epidermotropic melanoma metastases. Our review indicates that topical fluorouracil and tretinoin are not effective as single agents. The efficacy of azelaic acid, tazarotene, cidofovir, and intralesional IFN-α, interleukin-2, and IFN-β is undefined. Imiquimod is the most studied and promising agent; however, optimal dosage, therapeutic regimen, and survival rates are unknown. In the face of a growing demand for non-surgical treatments, formal clinical trials are needed to ascertain the role of pharmacotherapeutic agents in the treatment of microinvasive melanoma.