Efficacy and safety of sunflower oil for mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> Psoriasis is a chronic, complex, inflammatory disease that needs safe and effective treatment options to decrease its disease burden.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives:</strong> To determine the efficacy and safety of sunflower oil in mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis at the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> This was an 8-week, single-center, randomized, double-blind controlled trial that compared the efficacy and safety of sunflower oil + placebo cream (Group SO), betamethasone valerate cream + placebo oil (Group BC), sunflower oil + betamethasone valerate cream (Group SOBC) in mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis. Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) was used to measure the extent of psoriasis by assessing the erythema, induration, scaling, and body surface area involvement. The difference from baseline PASI was recorded. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire was used to measure the impact of psoriasis on the patient's quality of life.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> Fifty-one patients were randomized and blinded to three treatment arms; evaluated at baseline, week 4 and 8. The proportion of patients who achieved PASI ?50 at week 4 was 29% in Group SO, 38% in Group BC, and 60% in Group SO-BC. By week 8, Groups SO and BC achieved 80% while Group SO-BC achieved 93%. There was significant decline of PASI at week 4 and week 8 compared to baseline. The mean percentage change of PASI was highest at Group SO-BC followed by Group BC and lastly Group SO at week 4 and week 8. The mean reduction in score for scaling was significantly higher in Group SO-BC. Mean reduction in induration and erythema was not statistically significant across the three groups. There was 40-50% improvement in DLQI scores in all groups. There were no adverse events.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study showed that sunflower oil is effective and safe in mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis.</p>

Subcutaneous zygomycosis due to Basidiobolus ranarum in a Filipino child responding to itraconazole: A case report

@# Introduction: Subcutaneous zygomycosis or basidiobolomycosis is caused by a saprophytic fungi Basidiobolus ranarum (B. ranarum). It presents clinically as a slowly growing painless subcutaneous nodule more commonly on the extremity, trunk and rarely on other parts of the body. Mode of infection has not been established but most likely follows traumatic implantation. We report a gradually evolving case of basidiobolomycosis in a 12-year-old immunocompetent Filipino male with no history of trauma who responded dramatically to itraconazole. Case summary: Subcutaneous zygomycosis is caused by Basidiobolus ranarum (B. ranarum) which is endemic in parts of Africa, India and other parts of Asia. We report an evolving case of a Filipino male child who presented with chronic and persistent subcutaneous nodules and plaques on the left extremity. Dense cell infiltrates consisting of lymphocytes, histiocytes and eosinophils were seen on histology with non-septated hyphal structures on Gomori’s methenamine silver stain. Fungal culture of the lesion yielded B. ranarum. Complete resolution of the lesions were observed after 6 months of itraconazole therapy alone. Conclusion: This case demonstrated the gradual progression of the disease, and that the lack of a history of trauma does not exclude its diagnosis. Subcutaneous zygomycosis should be highly suspected in chronic painless subcutaneous nodules with swelling, and its early recognition is crucial to prevent progression of the disease. In patients whom an infectious cause is suspected, appropriate cultures, special staining, and sometimes repeat biopsies of new cutaneous lesions may be helpful in determining or ruling out the associated disease. Furthermore, performing PAS stain alone to identify the presence or absence of a fungi is insufficient, rather, additional staining such as GMS should be done to heighten detection of fungal elements.

A double-blind, randomized controlled trial on the efficacy and safety of 4% niacinamide cream on the treatment of mild to moderate chronic plaque psoriasis at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital Out-Patient Department

@#Background: Niacinamide is known for its anti-inflammatory effect and skin penetration capability. Currently, limited studies are available on its efficacy on psoriasis. Objective: This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of 4% niacinamide cream on mild to moderate psoriasis. Methods: 40 patients were randomly allocated to 4% niacinamide cream (N), or 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide cream (TAC) or 4% niacinamide cream and 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide cream (N-TAC) for 10 weeks treatment. A 50% improvement in psoriasis area severity index (PASI50) was considered as the primary endpoint of the study. Secondary outcome measures were physician global assessment (PGA), dermatology life quality index (DLQI), and adverse events. PASI and PGA were assessed biweekly. DLQI was assessed at the start and at the end of the study period. Results: PASI50 was achieved in 85% of patients in N-TAC, 75% of patients in TAC and 15% of patients in N. There was no statistical significant difference between groups TAC and N-TAC (p=0.645, Fisher’s exact test). A higher number of patients in N-TAC (31%) achieved PGA1 score or “almost clear” and reached PASI50 earlier (60% at week 4). A higher improvement in DLQI score was seen in N-TAC; however, mean DLQI improvement did not vary by treatment group (p=0.0770). No adverse event was reported for groups TAC and N-TAC while pruritus and erythema were noted in N. Conclusion: Monotherapy of 4% niacinamide cream was not effective in the treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis. The combination N-TAC showed a continuous and sustained improvement of lesions compared to monotherapy TAC.

A double-blind randomized controlled trial on the efficacy and safety of metformin as an adjunct to lymecycline and topical adapalene plus benzoyl peroxide gel in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris

@#INTRODUCTION: Acne vulgaris has multifactorial causes. Prolonged systemic antibiotics are often necessary because relapse of lesions occurs upon its discontinuation. Currently, antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern. Androgen inhibitors like metformin may decrease need for antibiotics and maintain adequate control of the disease. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and safety of metformin versus placebo as an adjunct to lymecycline and adapalene+benzoyl peroxide gel in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris METHODS: Patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris received either metformin or placebo tablets, together with lymecycline and adapalene+benzoyl peroxide gel. Lymecycline was taken for six weeks. The rest were given for 18 weeks. Evaluation was done biweekly using the mean reduction rates of non-inflammatory, inflammatory and total lesion count, modified global severity score, subjective self-assessment score, Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) score, and cutaneous and systemic adverse events. RESULTS: Forty patients were selected for the trial. Mean reduction rates of the non-inflammatory lesion counts of the two groups were comparable (p>0.05). Mean reduction rates of the inflammatory and total lesion count in the metformin group were higher than the placebo group (p<0.05). The mean modified global severity score of the metformin group was lower than the placebo group (p=0.034). Mean DLQI scores decreased in both groups (p<0.0001). Subjective self-assessment scores improved in both groups with comparable results. Cutaneous adverse events (erythema, pain, scaling, and dryness) were tolerable. Systemic adverse events (diarrhea, flatulence, headache, and epigastric pain) were self-limited CONCLUSION: Metformin is an effective and safe adjunct in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris.

Double-blind randomized controlled trial on the efficacy and safety of metformin as an adjunct to Doxycycline and Tretinoin 0.025% cream in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris

Objectives@#To evaluate the efficacy and safety of metformin as an adjunct to oral doxycycline and tretinoin 0.025% cream in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris. @*Methods@#This is a double blind randomized controlled trial with 17 patients per group, and a study period of 12 weeks. Both groups (Dt group and DtM group) received doxycycline for the first 6 weeks and tretinoin for 12 weeks, while only the DtM group received metformin 1500mg/day for the entire treatment period. Follow up visits were done every 2 weeks from baseline. Non-inflammatory, inflammatory and total acne lesion count, and the modified global severity, subjective patient assessment, and Dermatology Life Quality Index scores, scores of cutaneous adverse events, and incidence and frequency of systemic adverse events were the outcome measures. @*Results@#The DM group showed significant statistical benefit for the treatment of noninflamma-tory lesions (comedones) in the 4th, 6th, 8th and 12th week. Outcome measures of global severity, subjective patient assessment, and DLQI scores, mean reduction rate of inflammatory and total lesion counts, and mean pain, erythema, dryness and scaling counts between groups were comparable. The incidence and frequency of reported systemic adverse events such as diarrhea, nausea and headache, were higher in the DtM group.@*Conclusion@#The addition of metformin to standard treatment is beneficial in reducing non-inflammatory lesion counts. It offers comparable benefit for inflammatory and total lesion counts. Cutaneous and systemic adverse events in both groups were mild and self-limited, and did not warrant discontinuation of treatment.