Alopecia Areata - A literature Review

Alopecia areata (AA) is a disease marked by extreme variability in hair loss, not only at the time of initial onset of hair loss but in the duration, extent and pattern of hair loss during any given episode. This variable and unpredictable nature of spontaneous re-growth and lack of a uniform response to various therapies has made clinical trials in alopecia areata difficult to plan and implement. It is a type of alopecia that affects males and females equally. It occurs in both children and adults. The peak age of occurrence is 20 to 50 years .The most common clinical presentation is asymptomatic shedding of telogen hairs followed by patchy non scarring hair loss in association with nail pitting, Beau’s line and nail dystrophy. The disease may progress from this limited presentation to total loss of all scalp hairs (Alopecia totalis) or all body hair (alopecia universalis) with significant onychodystrophy. Mostly it is characterised by reversible hair loss involving the scalp although others areas of head including eyelashes, eyebrows and beard may also be affected. Although, it is a mostly cosmetic problem but it often has devastating effects on quality of life and self-esteem. The paper aims at providing an overview of Alopecia areata.

Effect of a Polyherbal Unani formulation in acne vulgaris: A preliminary study.

Acne vulgaris is the most common disorder treated by dermatologists. Acne is a disease of pilosebaceous units characterized by the formation of the open and closed comedones, papules, pustules, nodules and cysts. A preliminary trial was conducted in the department of Medicine, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore, India, to assess the safety and efficacy of a Polyherbal Unani Formulation (PHUF) in the management of Acne Vulgaris on scientific parameters. Twenty five patients, diagnosed with acne, were included in the study after obtaining their informed consents. All the patients were clinically assessed and diagnosed on the basis of thorough history and dermatological examination. Then, PHUF was administered locally once at night for a period of 45 days. The severity of acne and efficacy of treatment was assessed by Cook’s acne grading scale. The results showed significant reduction in the Cook’s acne grading scores of post-treatment group (P<0.01) as compared to pre-treatment scores. Further, PHUF was found safe and fairly well accepted by the patients. It was therefore, concluded that PHUF can be used safely and effectively for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

Clinical evaluation of efficacy of Majoon Ushba and Roghane Hindi in the management of psoriasis: A randomized single-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Psoriasis is a common dermatological disease affecting up to 1–2% of the world’s population. It is associated with both organic and psychosocial complications like psoriatic arthropathy, nephritis, infection, hyperuricemia, hypoproteinemia, depression, and stress, and is responsible for hindering patients' daily activities. The present study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of two pharmacopeial Unani formulations (Majoon Ushba and Roghane Hindi) in the management of psoriasis on scientific parameters. Thirty diagnosed psoriasis patients, satisfying the inclusion criteria, were selected for a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study in the Department of Moalajat (Medicine), National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore. The patients were divided by the method of Random Table Numbers into test and control groups after obtaining informed consent. The experimental group comprised 20 patients to whom Majoon Ushba 5 g was administered orally twice daily and Roghane Hindi was applied locally twice daily. The control group comprised 10 patients who were given placebo drugs orally and topically. The duration of the trial was 8 weeks and follow-up was done fortnightly. The severity of psoriasis and efficacy of the drug was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) Scale. The results of both groups were compared and analyzed statistically. The study showed significant reduction in the PASI score in the test group (P < 0.01) as compared to placebo. No obnoxious side effects were observed in the test group: toxicological parameters were within normal limits even after 2 months of treatment. It was therefore concluded that Majoon Ushba and Roghane Hindi are safe and effective in the management of psoriasis