Combined imiquimod and acitretin for non-surgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

We report the successful outcome of treatment of a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) with topical imiquimod and systemic acitretin in a 48-year-old woman. We think that this treatment is a possible option for management of these non-life-threatening tumours. Experimental evidence suggests that combination treatment with retinoids increase the effects of imiquimod and would therefore seem to be possible when treating superficial tumours in areas where the cosmetic outcome is particularly important.