Reducing unpleasant side effects of topical 5-Fluorouracil treatment for actinic keratosis: a randomized controlled trial.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) for prophylactic treatment of diffuse actinic keratosis results in an exuberant inflammatory reaction, contributing to patient noncompliance and dissatisfaction. This 5-week split-faced, double-blind, randomized controlled trial involved 30 subjects with diffuse facial AK who received twice daily 5-FU treatment for 2 weeks. This was followed by pre-randomized twice daily use of one of three topical interventions on one half of the face.