ABSTRACT
Background@#Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common precancerous cutaneous lesion. There are various AK treatment methods; however, no specific method is considered superior. Most existing studies on AK treatment are Caucasian-based and include patients with multiple lesions. @*Objective@#This study aimed to compare the treatment duration, financial costs, and success rates of topically applied 5% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) solution, 5% imiquimod (IMIQ) cream, and cryosurgery in the treatment of histologically proven single-lesion AK in Korean patients. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with single-lesion AK at a single Korean center from January 2018 to February 2021. Each patient was treated using the three aforementioned local treatments. @*Results@#The study included 58 patients. Nineteen of 23 (82.6%), 27 of 27 (100%), and eight of eight patients (100%) were successfully treated after topical 5-FU, topical IMIQ, and cryosurgery, respectively. Further analysis on treatment success by subgroup revealed the following: mean number of outpatient visits, 3.78 vs. 4.41 vs. 3.75;mean treatment duration, 5.79 vs. 6.00 vs. 9.38 weeks; and mean total treatment cost, 79,380 vs. 170,023 vs. 173,116 won; for the 5-FU, IMIQ, and cryosurgery subgroups, respectively. The total treatment cost was significantly different among the subgroups (p≤0.001). @*Conclusion@#Topical IMIQ and cryosurgery were superior in terms of treatment efficacy, but considering its low cost, 5-FU may also be a reasonable option. Hence, an individualized approach to treating localized AK should be taken.
ABSTRACT
Background@#Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a papulosquamous eruption with generally unknown origin but suspected to be related to viral etiologies. The clinicopathological spectrum of several disorders with viral etiologies has been altered after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The author group could experience coherent histological alterations in PR after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate how the clinicopathological findings of PR were changed after the COVID-19 pandemic. @*Methods@#Patients (n = 11) diagnosed with PR based on the clinical manifestations and skin biopsies between February 2018 and October 2019 and 11 patients in February 2020 and October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed by investigating the medical records. @*Results@#The patients with PR during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated statistically significant histopathological alterations from classic brisk and dense infiltration pattern to dormant and sparse infiltration and psoriasiform-dominant patterns (P = 0.019). PR was associated with more frequent pruritus during the pandemic period (P = 0.027). @*Conclusion@#In conclusion, PR demonstrated a significant histopathological alteration with more frequent pruritus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The comparative results about clinicopathological findings of PR will provide a useful reference for dermatologists in the diagnostic process of PR in the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
no abstract available.