ArticleOtolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery2026
Topical Imiquimod for Oral Cavity Leukoplakia and Dysplasia: A Scoping Review.
Article in Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Topical Imiquimod for Oral Cavity Leukoplakia and Dysplasia: A Scoping Review.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Heterogeneous mechanisms, risk stratification, and translational advances in the malignant transformation of oral potentially malignant disorders to oral squamous cell carcinoma.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveImiquimod, a toll-like receptor 7 agonist, is currently FDA-approved for treatment of actinic keratoses, superficial BCC, and external genital warts. It has also demonstrated promise in off-label use in the treatment of oral cavity leukoplakia and dysplasia. The aim of this scoping review is to summarize the current literature on this novel treatment strategy. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and SCOPUS. REVIEW
methodData sources were searched from inception through December 2024. The search was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. Studies reporting on oral leukoplakia or dysplasia treated with topical imiquimod were included, with primary outcome being lesion resolution or reduction.
resultsA total of 9 studies reporting on (N = 89) patients with (n = 99) lesions were included. The average age was 48.4 (range 43-66), and 48.6% were male. 5% topical imiquimod was used in varying treatment regimens, most commonly for 6 weeks in duration (7/9 papers). 34.3% of lesions had complete resolution, 43.4% had incomplete resolution, and 22.2% had no change in the lesion. The most commonly reported adverse effects were burning/soreness at the site (73.0%), fatigue (22.5%), oral lichen planus development or flare (11.2%), and flu-like symptoms (2.2%).
conclusionTopical imiquimod for the treatment of oral cavity leukoplakia and dysplasia is a promising new treatment strategy. Efficacy has been demonstrated in reducing lesion size and even complete lesion resolution, with minimal adverse effects. Further research is needed on this innovative therapeutic approach.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.