BACKGROUND: Morphoea is characterized by fibrosis, which is mediated by cytokines including transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to use imiquimod 5% cream (Aldara), an inducer of interferon-gamma, known to inhibit TGF-beta, to treat morphoea. METHODS: Patients with morphoea were treated with imiquimod and evaluated during their follow-up visits to 6 months. RESULTS: The dyspigmentation, induration and erythema of 12 patients with morphoea lesions improved. The histology of the skin also showed a decrease in dermal thickness. CONCLUSION: This is the first case series describing the successful application of imiquimod in the management of morphoea.
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Dytoc et al. (2005) studied this question.
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