Successful treatment of anogenital lichen sclerosus with topical tacrolimus.

BACKGROUND

Lichen sclerosus of the anogenital area is a chronic inflammatory and fibrosclerotic disease associated with substantial morbidity. Topical ultrapotent corticosteroids are currently the treatment of choice.

OBSERVATIONS: Three prepubertal girls and 3 adults (2 men, 1 woman) were treated with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment once daily. All patients experienced complete resolution with long-lasting remission for up to 1 year. No major adverse effects were observed, and treatment was well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical tacrolimus is a promising novel agent in the treatment of lichen sclerosus of the anogenital area. A major advantage over topical corticosteroids is the lack of skin atrophy. Further clinical trials are warranted to confirm our findings.