Hyun-Woo Chin

Pimecrolimus 1% cream for the treatment of rosacea

Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin disorder; the pathogenesis is unclear. Various treatment options for rosacea are available, but most have limited effectiveness. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of 1% pimecrolimus cream for the treatment of rosacea. Thirty patients with rosacea were enrolled in this 4‐week, single‐center, open‐label study of 1% pimecrolimus cream. Patients were instructed to apply the cream to their faces twice daily and were not permitted to use any other agents. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by a rosacea grading system using photographic documentation and a mexameter. The 26 patients who completed the study experienced significantly reduced rosacea clinical scores from 9.65 ± 1.79 at baseline to 7.27 ± 2.11 at the end of treatment (P < 0.05). The mexameter‐measured erythema index decreased significantly from 418.54 ± 89.56 at baseline to 382.23 ± 80.04 at week 4 (P < 0.05). The side‐effects were mostly transient local irritations. The results of this study suggest that 1% pimecrolimus cream is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment for patients with mild to moderate inflammatory rosacea.

Comparative analysis of the use of complementary and alternative medicine by Korean patients with androgenetic alopecia, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis

Background  Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is being increasingly used among Koreans with chronic dermatologic diseases, such as androgenetic alopecia (AGA), atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis.

Is narrowband ultraviolet B monotherapy effective in the treatment of pityriasis lichenoides

Pityriasis lichenoides (PL) is a self‐limiting papulosquamous disease that may persist for years and is associated with a high relapse rate. To date, few comparative studies have investigated the efficacy of narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) phototherapy and other therapies in the treatment of PL.

A Case of Eccrine Poroma Treated with 5% Imiquimod Cream

To the Editor: Eccrine poroma rarely preceds to the development of porocarcinma and the treatment of choice is conventional surgical excision. However, surgery can be a burden for particular locations and cause cosmetic problems. The new immonomodulator, imiquimod, has been reported to be an effective nonsurgical treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma. This article serves to remind dermatologists that, in addition to surgical excision, imiquimod 5% cream may be an alternative in the treatment of eccrine poroma. In addition to a review of the literature, we present a case of eccrine poroma successfully treated with 5% imiquimod cream. In our case, the response of eccrine poroma occurring in the face to imiquimod was encouraging. The nonsurgical approach and excellent cosmetic results make imiquimod 5% cream an attractive treatment modality for eccrine poroma. A 67-year-old man was referred to our hospital with an asymptomatic, flesh-colored nodule with crusts on his left temple area for accurate diagnosis and treatment (Fig. 1). The lesion had first appeared ten years earlier and then slowly progressed to its present size and shape in the last two years. The adjacent skin was normal, and no regional lymph nodes were palpable. He noted that he did not have any previous treatment history nor a family or past medical history of any cutaneous malignancies. A punch biopsy specimen showed that the tumor was composed of broad columns of uniform basaloid cells extending into the dermis from the undersurface of the epidermis (Fig. 2). These cells were cuboid or ovoid and smaller than the epidermal keratinocytes with which they were in contact. They were periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive. He was diagnosed as eccrine poroma. The patient was referred for surgical excision, but he denied any surgical procedure. After he was informed of the diagnosis and treatment options were discussed, treatment with imiquimod was begun three times per week. He was told before treatment that additional surgical intervention, including biopsy, would be necessary if clinical recurrence was suspected. Two weeks after the initiation of treatment, the lesion became The Journal of Dermatology Vol. 32: 691–693, 2005