BACKGROUND: Hand dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder for which systemic immunosuppressive therapy is often needed. Topical treatments could complement the use of systemic corticosteroids. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate symptoms of hand dermatitis in subjects treated with a prednisone taper combined with topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment versus vehicle. METHODS: Thirty-two ...

Infantile acne is a rare and poorly understood disorder. The objective of this study was to improve our knowledge about the epidemiology and clinical course of infantile acne, and evaluate approaches to treatment. This two-center retrospective study covered the period between 1985 and 2007. Inclusion criteria were: (i) age less ...

BACKGROUND: Achieving an effective management of acne vulgaris with minimal complications remains a difficult challenge for physicians. Moreover, the rise in antibiotic-resistant strains reduce the future usefulness of current mainstay therapies, and accordingly, the need for alternative therapies is mandatory. Phototherapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for ...

BACKGROUND: Multiple modalities have been used in the treatment of melasma, such as bleaching agents, chemical peels, and antioxidants. Topical zinc sulfate has peeling and antioxidant effects. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical 10% zinc sulfate solution in the treatment of melasma. PATIENTS & ...

BACKGROUND: Among all the topical immunomodulators, vitiligo's mainstay therapy includes topical corticosteroids. Many other non-immune theories have also been suggested for vitiligo's pathogenesis, but the role of oxidative stress has gained more importance in recent years. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of topical 0.05% betamethasone vs. catalase/dismutase superoxide (C/DSO). STUDY ...

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema is an itchy inflammatory skin condition with a predilection of the skin flexures. Most cases start in children although some have been reported in adults. Patients with moderate to severe disease refractory to topical corticosteroid or calcineurin inhibitors may require second-line treatment such as ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the clinical efficacy of topical sinecatechins, a defined green tea extract, in the treatment of external genital and perianal warts. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial involving 502 male and female patients aged 18 years and older, with 2-30 anogenital warts ranging from 12 to ...

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis vulgaris is one of the most common chronic skin disorders without any curative treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of HESA-A in the treatment of psoriasis. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 28 patients (11 male, 17 female) with chronic ...

A variety of topical retinoids is available for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Selection of the appropriate treatment depends not only on efficacy but also on how well the patient can tolerate different formulations. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of daily adapalene 0.1% ...

The efficacy and safety of adapalene 0.1% gel in the treatment of acne vulgaris has been demonstrated in multiple controlled clinical trials. A higher concentration formulation, adapalene 0.3% gel, has been developed to provide a broader range of treatment options for acne management. Phase 3 clinical studies have demonstrated the ...

BACKGROUND: Occupational hand dermatitis (OHD) is a common and often chronic condition. Usage of topical corticosteroids is limited in long-term therapy because of potential side-effects. New treatment options are highly appreciated. OBJECTIVE: To study efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in patients suffering from OHD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective, ...

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory condition affecting up to 20% of children. Here, we report the long-term extension study of previously published pivotal phase III studies with pimecrolimus cream 1%. Two identical, 26-week studies (6-week, double-blind, followed by 20-week, open-label phases) were conducted in children aged 2 to 17 ...

Infantile acne is an uncommon condition in pediatric age. We determined the efficacy and safety of adapalene gel 0.1% in the treatment of infantile acne. Twelve patients were enrolled for adapalene gel 0.1% application once daily over a 16-week treatment period. Efficacy evaluation included counting the inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions ...

Background: Pruritus vulvae may have a variety of causes, such as infections, dermatologic disorders or non-neoplastic/neoplastic vulvar diseases. Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and side effects of topical pimecrolimus 1% cream for pruritus vulvae. Methods: Twelve postmenopausal diabetic women with vulvar lichen simplex chronicus were enrolled in this trial. Each ...

BACKGROUND: Nail involvement is a common and distressing feature in the course of psoriasis. Although much progress has been made in the treatment of the disease, the presence of psoriasis in the nail continues to pose a challenge. In recent years, vitamin D3 analogs and a new formulation containing 8% ...

BACKGROUND: Alternatives to surgery are needed for the treatment of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. We investigated the effectiveness of imiquimod 5% cream, a topical immune-response modulator, for the treatment of this condition. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with grade 2 or 3 vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia were randomly assigned to receive either imiquimod or ...

PUVA and UVB-NB phototherapy have an established role in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Even though psoriasis patients often require continuous treatments, inadequate attention is devoted to the duration of remission after the treatment. The purpose of this retrospective study is to assess which phototherapeutic regimen induces a longer remission. ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of the Bacille Calmette-Guerin BCG vaccine in the treatment of viral warts. METHODS: A single blind placebo controlled study conducted at the Department of Dermatology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq from March 2005 to June 2006. Two hundred patients with viral warts were enrolled in ...

BACKGROUND: Populous euphratica tree which belongs to Salicaceae family is naturally distributed in many parts of the world. Our purpose was to compare the therapeutic effects of smoke of its burnt leaves with conventional cryotherapy in patients with warts. METHODS: Sixty consecutive wart patients were randomly treated with leaves of ...

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes painful cutaneous ulcers that are difficult to treat. Currently, systemic immunosuppressants, often including prednisone, are the mainstay of therapy. Long-term therapy with these agents is often required which exposes patients to possible adverse effects. An alternative treatment that is safe ...

BACKGROUND: Multiple trials have been conducted in which the safety and efficacy of different biological therapies for psoriasis have been studied. However, the treatment course in clinical practice is different from the setting in which trials are conducted. OBJECTIVES: The evaluation of the efficacy, safety and adverse events of etanercept ...

BACKGROUND: Efalizumab, a T-cell-targeted, recombinant, humanized, monoclonal IgG1 antibody, inhibits key T-cell-mediated steps in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Efalizumab is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis in adults in more than 50 countries. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term, continuous efalizumab therapy in patients ...

BACKGROUND: Intermittent dosing of a topical calcineurin inhibitor for preventing atopic dermatitis (AD) disease relapse in patients with stabilized AD has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of 3-times-weekly use of tacrolimus ointment in preventing AD disease relapse. METHODS: Adult and pediatric patients ...

BACKGROUND: Benign external genital and perianal warts (condylomata acuminata) are disfiguring, displeasing skin tumours caused by human papillomavirus that may vitally burden affected patients and their partners. Current treatment options are still unsatisfactory due to low efficacy, high recurrence rates or an unfavourable side-effect profile. Although most recently prophylactic vaccines ...

BACKGROUND: Steroid-induced rosacea is a relatively common dermatosis that is caused by the prolonged application of topical steroid to the face. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this investigator-blind, split-face study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pimecrolimus 1% cream for the treatment of steroid-induced rosacea. PATIENTS/METHODS: Patients were instructed ...

BACKGROUND: Management of lichen sclerosus (LS) in boys is still controversial. Although in most cases only the prepuce is affected, meatal and urethral involvement may require major surgical reconstruction with substantial morbidity. OBJECTIVE: Because the frequency of such complicated courses is still unclear, an adjuvant postoperative treatment is highly desirable. ...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggested that early intervention with pimecrolimus cream 1% at the first signs and/or symptoms of a relapse of atopic dermatitis (AD) following remission may prevent the occurrence of more severe flares and therefore reduce corticosteroid exposure in the long term. However, this possibility was not rigorously evaluated. ...

BACKGROUND: Impetigo is a common skin infection, primarily caused by Staphylococcus aureus and mainly occurring in children. It is usually treated topically with antibiotics to achieve a quick cure and prevent spread of the infection. Worldwide, resistance rates of S. aureus against commonly used antibiotics are rising. Retapamulin belongs to ...

BACKGROUND: Methyl aminolaevulinate-photodynamic therapy (MAL-PDT) is an effective treatment in facial/scalp actinic keratosis (AK). OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to compare efficacy, safety, cosmetic outcome and patient preference of MAL-PDT vs. cryotherapy in patients with AK at other locations. METHODS: A multicentre, controlled, randomized, open, intraindividual, right-left comparison ...

BACKGROUND: Hydrocortisone butyrate (HCB) is currently marketed as a cream, ointment, and solution. A new lotion formulation of hydrocortisone butyrate 0.1% (Locoid lotion) has been developed and evaluated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HCB 0.1% lotion compared to the vehicle in ...

Well-designed studies on systemic therapeutic modalities for severe psoriasis in children are rare. Children with severe disease are treated with the support of data extrapolated from that in adult, although management in them differs from adults in several important aspects. Like other systemic modalities, data regarding the use of methotrexate ...

For patients who fail traditional acne therapy or experience side effects, other treatments are needed. Cephalexin has been noted to be efficacious in some instances. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of cephalexin for acne. A retrospective chart review of 93 acne patients treated with cephalexin was performed. ...

BACKGROUND: Due to the late introduction of oral isotretinoin, there is only a single report of the use of this drug from India. AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy, acceptability and side effects of oral isotretinoin in Indian conditions and to compare the efficacy of oral isotretinoin monotherapy with that of ...

BACKGROUND: Grenz ray therapy (GRT) has been used to treat dermatoses refractory to other therapy. Patient's assessments to GRT alone have not been previously reported. OBJECTIVE: (1) To report the patterns of use of GRT at our center over a 10-year period and evaluate the efficacy of GRT in treating ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: According to a European pilot study, the 308-nanometer (nm) Excilite mu (DEKA, Florence, Italy) system may be a promising tool for patients with vitiligo by offering targeted phototherapy, a rapid onset of repigmentation, and few adverse effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical ...

BACKGROUND: Moderate to severe psoriasis is a significant inflammatory disease that frequently requires systemic therapies to effectively treat the underlying disorder. Etanercept and narrow-band ultraviolet light B (NB-UVB) are widely used to treat this disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness, tolerability, and patient-reported outcomes of combination etanercept plus NB-UVB phototherapy ...

Although spontaneous resolution of verrucous vulgaris is the norm, many treatment modalities are available including local destruction, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and sensitizing agents. The choice of treatment will vary with patient's age and desire for treatment, prior treatments, potential side effects, location of lesions, and patient's immune status. Treatment of verruca ...

A 73-year-old woman with a 50-year history of psoriasis was referred to our clinic with a 4-month duration of tense bullae on erythematous base and erosions localized on her lower extremities and torso (Figure 1A). Neither the oral nor the ocular mucosa had been involved. The lesions were intensively pruritic, ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this post hoc analysis was to evaluate whether treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) with pimecrolimus cream 1% can decrease the development of flares necessitating the use of a topical corticosteroid on the face and thus reduce the need for use of topical corticosteroids in ...

BACKGROUND: Facial hyperhidrosis may negatively impact the quality of life. Although various conservative modalities have been suggested, the condition is not often treated successfully. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether topical glycopyrrolate could be an effective and safe treatment for facial hyperhidrosis. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with facial hyperhidrosis were enrolled and treated ...

BACKGROUND: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a virus-associated neoplasm, can be treated locally or systemically with interferon alfa. Therefore, imiquimod, an immune response modifier able to induce interferon-alpha secretion in situ, could prove a good local treatment for KS skin lesions. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the efficacy and safety of imiquimod ...

BACKGROUND: Many therapeutic modalities have been suggested for treatment of the chronic hand eczema. Despite good immediate efficacy of some of these treatments, there is high recurrence of the dermatitis following cessation of the treatment. AIM: Regarding the beneficial effects of the zinc sulfate on the skin, we designed a ...

Almost 50% of patients with psoriasis also have scalp psoriasis. Although alefacept is safe and effective for the treatment of generalized plaque psoriasis, its efficacy specifically for treating scalp psoriasis has not been formally evaluated. We sought to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of alefacept in treating scalp psoriasis. Patients ...

BACKGROUND: 5-Fluorouracil is an antimetabolite that has been known to be effective for the treatment of common warts. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of 5-fluorouracil, lidocaine, and epinephrine (5-FU+LE) for the treatment of common warts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 40 patients initially enrolled, ...

A 33-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of a widespread pigmented purpuric eruption over his trunk and limbs. The clinical presentation and histology were consistent with a diagnosis of Schamberg's disease. The rash initially cleared following a short course of oral prednisolone at 25 mg daily for 3 weeks, ...

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of acne vulgaris with light sources necessitates multiple targets including Propionibacterium acnes and sebaceous glands. Traditional light sources such as blue light capitalize on P acnes bacteria as targets while infrared lasers and radiofrequency devices target the sebaceous gland. A novel device combining vacuum and a unique broadband ...

Methotrexate, the most common systemic small molecule used in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis, is associated with significant toxicities and adverse events. Long-term continuous usage is not recommended due to potential liver toxicity, myelosuppression, and other side effects. Abrupt cessation of methotrexate without tapering can lead to flare-up ...

BACKGROUND: Pimecrolimus cream 1% has been shown to effectively control atopic eczema (AE) when applied twice daily from the first signs or symptoms of AE until clearance. Moreover, pimecrolimus cream 1% has a favourable safety profile, lacking topical corticosteroid-related side-effects such as skin atrophy, making it particularly useful to treat ...

Two 12-week, randomized, vehicle-controlled. double-blinded pivotal studies and a 12-month. long-term, open-label, noncomparative safety study were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dapsone gel 5% in patients with acne vulgaris. Of 3516 participants enrolled in the 3 trials, 1306 participants (37%) were adolescents aged 12 to 15 years ...

BACKGROUND: Galactography (ductography) is the technique of choice for studying pathologic nipple discharge. It is sometimes difficult or even impossible to perform cannulation of the ductal orifice because of the discomfort caused to the patient. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of a eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) containing lidocaine ...