Ercan Arca

Narrow-band ultraviolet B as monotherapy and in combination with topical calcipotriol in the treatment of vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a common, idiopathic, acquired, depigmenting disease characterized by loss of normal melanin pigments in the skin. The most interesting treatment methods for extensive vitiligo involve psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy and ultraviolet (UV)‐B phototherapy, particularly narrow‐band UV‐B. In this randomized and comparative study, we investigated the safety and efficacy of narrow band ultraviolet B as monotherapy and in combination with topical calcipotriol in the treatment of generalized vitiligo. Of the 40 vitiligo patients enrolled in the study, 15 were treated with the calcipotriol plus narrow‐band UV‐B (NBUVB) and 25 with narrow band UV‐B alone. The patients were randomized into two NBUVB treatment groups. The first group, consisting of 24 patients (all male), received only NBUVB treatment; the second group, consisting of 13 patients (all male) applied 0.05% topical calcipotriol ointments twice daily. Both groups were irradiated with NBUVB (311 nm). In the NBUVB group, the percentage of the body surface affected was reduced from 27.21 ± 10.41% to 16.25 ± 8.54% after a mean of 30 treatment sessions. The mean repigmentation percentage was 41.6 ± 19.4%. In clinical evaluation (moderate and marked/complete response was accepted as an effective treatment), 19 patients (19/24; 79.17%) had clinically good results. In the NBUVB plus calcipotriol group, the percentage of the body surface affected was reduced from 23.35 ± 6.5% to 13.23 ± 7.05% after a mean of 30 treatment sessions. The mean repigmentation percentage was 45.01 ± 19.15%. In clinical evaluation (moderate and marked/complete response was accepted as an effective treatment), 10 patients (10/13; 76.92%) had clinically good results. Statistically significant intragroup reductions from the baseline percentage of the body surface affected were seen at the endpoint of treatment for the two treatment groups (P < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups at the end of therapy with respect to the reduction of repigmentation rates (P > 0.05). The present study reconfirmed the efficacy of NBUVB phototherapy in vitiligo. It can be a therapeutic option considered in the management of patients with vitiligo. However, addition of topical calcipotriol to NBUVB did not show any advantage.

An Open, Randomized, Controlled, Comparative Study of the Combined Effect of Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide and Onion Extract Gel and Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide Alone in the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids

BACKGROUND Various treatment regimens have been used in scars. The literature offers little consensus about appropriate therapy. OBJECTIVE To compare intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) alone or combined with onion extract in keloidal and hypertrophic scars. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fourteen patients were treated with intralesional TAC and onion extract gel, and 13 patients were treated with intralesional TAC alone. Findings were recorded and graded at each visit (weeks 0, 4, 12, and 20). The scores before treatment and at week 20 were compared. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients [17 men (63%) and 10 women (37%) aged 15 to 73 (average age 28.1±,11.7)] were enrolled in the study. At baseline, the difference in the two treatment groups was not statistically significant (p>.05). At week 20, there was statistically significant improvement in both treatment groups (p<.05). TAC with onion extract was more effective than TAC alone in terms of pain-sensitiveness, itching, and elevation but not in erythema and induration. Treatment was well tolerated, without any adverse effect. CONCLUSION Treatment with intralesional TAC and onion extract and TAC alone were effective. Combined with onion extract gel, intralesional TAC appears to be superior to TAC alone in the treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars.

Efficacy and safety of serial glycolic acid peels and a topical regimen in the treatment of recalcitrant melasma

Melasma is a common acquired disorder of facial hyperpigmentation. In this study we investigated the efficacy and safety of a combined treatment regimen including serial glycolic acid peels, topical azelaic acid cream and adapalene gel in the treatment of recalcitrant melasma. Twenty‐eight patients with recalcitrant melasma were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, controlled trial lasting 20 weeks. The patients of the group receiving chemical peels underwent serial glycolic acid peels in combination with topical azelaic acid 20% cream (b.i.d.) and adapalene 0.1% gel (q.i.d., applied at night). The control group received only topical treatment including topical azelaic acid and adapalene. The clinical improvement was assessed with the Melasma Area Severity Index (MASI) at baseline and monthly during the 20‐week treatment period. The results showed a prominent decrease in MASI scores at the end of the treatment in both groups, although the results were better in the group receiving chemical peels (P = 0.048). All patients tolerated the topical agents well with minimal irritation observed in the first few weeks of the therapy. Three patients in the glycolic acid peel group developed a mild‐degree postinflammatory hyperpigmentation with total clearance at the end of the treatment period. Therefore, the present study suggests that combined treatment with serial glycolic acid peels, azelaic acid cream and adapalene gel should be considered as an effective and safe therapy in recalcitrant melasma.

Antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in the scalp of patients with alopecia areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease. However, little is known about the alterations in lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in the scalp of patients with AA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the status of oxidative stress in the scalp of patients with AA. We measured the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as lipid peroxidation status, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) as antioxidant enzymes in the scalp of ten patients with AA and ten control subjects. The levels of TBARS in scalp of patients with AA (3654.1+/-621.2 nmol/g tissue) were significantly higher than those of controls (1210.2+/-188.8 nmol/g tissue) (P=0.002). The levels of SOD (134.8+/-23.8 U/g tissue) and GSH-Px (332.7+/-66.2 U/g tissue) in scalp of patients with AA were also significantly higher than those of controls (63.2+/-8.8 U/g tissue, 112.0+/-18.4 U/g tissue, respectively) (P=0.019, P=0.002, respectively). The mean levels of TBARS, SOD and GSH-Px in early phase of disease were increased 2-fold as compared with late phase of the disease. These results indicate that oxidative status is affected in AA. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes may be involved in the pathogenesis of AA. Furthermore, we found high SOD and GSH-Px activities in the scalp of patient with AA. These high levels could not protect the patients against the reactive oxygen species, because lipid peroxidation could not be lowered in AA patients.

An Open, Randomized, Comparative Study of Oral Finasteride and 5% Topical Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia

Background and Aim: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is undoubtedly the most common form of hair loss in males. It is a condition which may cause cosmetic and psychosocial problems in androgen-dependent cases. In this open, randomized and comparative study we evaluated the efficacy of oral finasteride and 5% topical minoxidil treatment for 12 months in 65 male patients with mild to severe AGA. Methods: We randomly assigned 40 (61.53%) patients to receive 1 mg/day oral finasteride for 12 months, and 25 (38.47%) patients applied 5% topical minoxidil solution twice daily for 12 months. Results: There were no significant differences between the 2 groups considering age, age of onset of hair loss, family history and type of hair loss (p > 0.05). In the clinical evaluation at the endpoint of treatment, the clinical cure rates (i.e. increased intensity of hair) were 80% (32/40) for the oral finasteride group and 52% (13/25) for the 5% topical minoxidil group. Encountered side effects were all mild, and there was no need to stop the treatment. In the group given oral finasteride, side effects were noted in 7 patients: 6 patients suffered from loss of libido, and 1 patient had an increase in other body hairs; irritation of the scalp was seen in 1 patient in the group administered 5% minoxidil. These adverse events disappeared as soon as the treatment was stopped. The laboratory data on both drug groups did not show any statistically or clinically significant intragroup changes from baseline values to the endpoint (p > 0.05), except the level of serum total testosterone which was increased, and free testosterone and serum prostate-specific antigen in the finasteride group which were statistically decreased from baseline values to the endpoint (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In this comparative study of systemic finasteride and topical minoxidil, it was concluded that both drugs were effective and safe in the treatment of mild to severe AGA, although oral finasteride treatment was more effective (p < 0.05). Adverse events were not considered important either, and these side effects disappeared as soon as the treatment was stopped.

An open, randomized, prospective, comparative study of topical pimecrolimus 1% cream and topical ketoconazole 2% cream in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis

Background: Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that mainly affects the seborrheic region. While ketoconazole is often used, pimecrolimus has been used successfully in SD. Objective: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of pimecrolimus in comparison with ketoconazole in the treatment of SD. Methods: A total of 48 patients with SD were included in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups: 23 and 25 patients in the pimecrolimus and ketoconazole groups, respectively. Clinical measures were assessed by erythema, scaling and infiltration, which were evaluated using a four-point scale (0 to 3) at 2, 6, and 12 weeks. Results: Of these 48 patients, 38 completed the study (18 and 20 patients in the pimecrolimus and ketoconazole groups, respectively). The mean percentage decrease in clinical severity scores from baseline to the last follow-up period was 86.2% and 86.1% in the pimecrolimus and ketoconazole groups, respectively. Both pimecrolimus and ketoconazole were effective in SD. Differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. Side effects were observed more frequently with pimecrolimus than with ketoconazole and this difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study showed that pimecrolimus had a comparable efficacy profile with that of ketoconazole, but side effects appeared more frequently in the pimecrolimus group than in the ketoconazole group.

An open, randomized, comparative study of oral fluconazole, itraconazole and terbinafine therapy in onychomycosis

OBJECTIVE: In this open, randomized and comparative study, the safety and efficacy of systemic fluconazole, itraconazole and terbinafine was investigated in 50 patients with distal subungual toenail onychomycosis diagnosed clinically and mycologically. The patients with positive mycology and also the patients with positive microscopy and negative culture were investigated. METHODS: The treatment duration was 3 months, and the follow-up period was 6 months. Patients were randomly assigned: 16 patients received 150 mg fluconazole once weekly, 18 patients received 200 mg itraconazole twice daily with meals during the first week of each month, and 16 patients received 250 mg/day terbinafine during the treatment period. RESULTS: In a clinical evaluation, at the endpoint of the follow-up period, the clinical cure rates were 81.3% (13/16) in the terbinafine group, 77.8% (14/18) in the itraconazole group, and 37.5% (6/16) in the fluconazole group. The mycological cure rates were 75% (12/16), 61.1% (11/18) and 31.2% (5/16), respectively. The overall assessment rates were 62.5% (10/16), 61.1% (11/18) and 31.2% (5/16), respectively. Statistically significant intra-group reductions from baseline symptom severity values were seen at the endpoint of treatment and at the endpoint of the follow-up period for all three treatment groups in onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis, affected-area percentage score and total score parameters (p < 0.001). At the endpoint of the follow-up period, statistically significant differences between the treatment groups were seen in clinical, mycological and overall assessment (p < 0.05). However, while no statistically significant difference between the terbinafine and itraconazole groups was seen, there was a clinical and statistical difference between the other groups and the fluconazole group. Treatment was not stopped for side effects such as mild gastrointestinal and central nervous system symptoms. These effects were noted in four patients in the fluconazole group (25%), five patients in the itraconazole group (27.8%), and three patients in the terbinafine group (18.75%). The clinical laboratory data on all three drug groups did not show any statistically or clinically significant intra-group changes from baseline values at the endpoint (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This comparative study of systemic fluconazole, itraconazole and terbinafine showed that all three drugs were effective and safe in the treatment of onychomycosis. However, fluconazole, at these doses and treatment durations, was the least effective. With regard to cost-effectiveness, side effects and the cure rates, terbinafine could be the drug of choice in the short-term treatment of toenail onychomycosis.

Skin problems in amputees : a descriptive study

Background  Skin problems are common in amputee patients. These problems may restrict the normal use of a prosthetic limb. We aimed to determine the range, incidence, causes and patterns of dermatological problems seen in a population of amputees.

Mometasone cream versus pimecrolimus cream for the treatment of childhood localized vitiligo

Abstract Background: With regard to the lack of effective treatment modalities for childhood localized vitiligo, the search for newer therapeutic agents continues.Objective: To conduct an open, comparative trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of topical mometasone cream and pimecrolimus cream in the treatment of childhood vitiligo.Methods: Fifty patients with childhood vitiligo were included in the study. Patients were treated for 3 months either with mometasone cream (0.1%) once daily or with pimecrolimus cream (1%) twice daily.Results: Forty patients, 20 from each group, completed the study. The two drugs were found to be statistically significantly effective for diminishing lesion size (Z = 3.070,p = 0.002 andZ = 3.845,p < 0.001, respectively). There were no statistical differences between the two drugs:Z = 1.427,p = 0.154 (mometasone non-inferiority to pimecrolimus). The mean repigmentation rate was 65% in the mometasone group and 42% in the pimecrolimus group at the end of therapy. Atrophy, telangiectasia and erythema were observed in two patients (10%) in the mometasone cream group and a burning sensation and pruritus were observed in two patients (10%) in the pimecrolimus cream group; drop-out was not related to the observed adverse effects.Conclusion: Mometasone cream was found to be effective in the treatment of vitiligo on any part of the body. Pimecrolimus was not effective on the body except for the face in childhood localized vitiligo.

An open, comparative study of 10% potassium hydroxide solution versus salicylic and lactic acid combination in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in children

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution and salicylic and lactic acid (SAL + LAC) combination in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (MC). Material and methods: 26 patients with MC randomized into two treatment groups. 12 patients treated with 10% KOH solution and 14 patients treated with SAL + LAC combination for 6 weeks. Parents of patients were instructed to apply medication once daily only to lesions at study onset. Assessment of response of the treated lesions and side effects was performed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks of the treatment. Newly acquired lesions were not included in the study. Results: At the end of therapy, 83.3% (n = 10) of KOH group demonstrated complete remission and 16.7% (n = 2) of them showed partial remission; four patients (33%) developed new lesions during the study. All the patients in the SAL + LAC combination group (100%) demonstrated complete remission of study entry lesions at the end of 6 weeks with five patients (35%) acquiring new lesions during the study. Minor side effects were observed in two groups. Conclusions: 10% KOH solution and SAL + LAC combination were found to be equally effective in the treatment of MC in children.