Comparison of the efficacy of cryotherapy and 0.1% Acnalen gel vs. cryotherapy and placebo in the treatment of actinic keratoses

ABSTRACT

To compare efficiency of cryotherapy followed by Acnalen gel 0.1% with cryotherapy plus placebo in the treatment of AKs [Actinic Keratosis]. One hundred outpatients who had a clinical diagnosis of actinic keratoses on face or scalp with at least five lesions were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups cryotherapy plus placebo and cryotherapy plus Acnalen 0.1% gel for a period of 100 days. Lesion counts were assessed at baseline, and 40, 70 and 100 days after cryotherapy. Mean baseline number of lesions for cryotherapy plus Acnalen gel group and cryotherapy plus placebo group were 7.54 +/- 3.66 and 7.20 +/- 3.60. In Acnalen group mean number of lesions reduced to 3.44 +/- 2.71[54.79 +/- 3.8%] and in placebo group reduced to 3.68 +/- 2.97 [48.60 +/- 4.5%] [P=0.62]. Our results suggested that cryotherapy and Acnalen 0.1% gel during 100 days cannot be more helpful than cryotherapy alone in the treatment of clinical AKs