Topical diclofenac 3% gel plus cryotherapy for treatment of multiple and recurrent actinic keratoses

Summary This paper reviews retrospectively the results obtained in a case series of multiple refractory actinic keratoses (AKs), treated sequentially with topical diclofenac 3% gel followed by cryotherapy. In total, 29 patients were reviewed; all had ≥ 5 lesions (mean 8.2; range 5–12) and a long-term history of recurrence after repeated cryotherapy. After a first-line, 12 week treatment phase with diclofenac 3% gel alone, the number of AKs per subject was reduced to an average of 1.5 AKs (range 0–5), with complete clearance of lesions in 21 cases (71%). Patients showing incomplete response to the above treatment (n = 8) then received liquid-nitrogen ablation for all residual lesions. This procedure resulted in complete clearance of all cases. Significantly, during the post-treatment follow-up period, patients had no AK recurrences for an average of 10 months (range 6–20). Sequential treatment with diclofenac 3% gel followed by cryotherapy may therefore represent an effective approach for the management of multiple refractory AKs.