ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Keloids are a prevalent chronic skin disorder with significant psychosocial morbidity. Intralesional corticosteroid injections are the first-line treatment but are painful and require repeated injections by medical professionals. Dissolving microneedles are a novel method of cutaneous drug delivery that induces minimal/no pain and can be self-administered. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of triamcinolone-embedded dissolving microneedles in treatment of keloids. METHODS: This was a single-blind, intra-individual controlled two-phase clinical trial of 8-week duration each. Two keloids per subject were selected for (1) once-daily 2-min application with microneedles for 4 weeks, followed by no treatment for the next 4 weeks, or (2) non-intervention as control. Primary outcome was change in keloid volume as assessed by a high-resolution 3D scanner. RESULTS: There was significant reduction in keloid volume compared with controls after 4 weeks of treatment. This reduction was greater with a higher dosage of triamcinolone used. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily application of dissolving triamcinolone-embedded microneedles significantly reduced the volume of keloids. The treatment was safe, can be self-administered and can serve as an alternative for patients unsuitable for conventional treatments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial Registry: Health Science Authority (Singapore) Clinical Trials Register Registration number: 2015/00440.
ABSTRACT
We describe a case of lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis in a 15-year-old girl who had previously taken minocycline for a year. Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa and lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis share many features and may both be triggered by minocycline. There may be a long latency between drug exposure to minocycline and development of disease.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/adverse effects , Arteries/pathology , Arteritis/chemically induced , Minocycline/adverse effects , Adolescent , Arteritis/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , HumansABSTRACT
This is a case report of a 4-month-old full-term, fully breastfed boy who presented with a persistent periorificial and groin rash associated with poor weight gain and irritability. His serum zinc level was low. The mother's breast milk zinc level was found to be low despite her serum zinc levels being normal, confirming the diagnosis of transient neonatal zinc deficiency. Mutational analysis revealed a novel mutation in the mother's SLC30A2 gene, which encodes a zinc transporter expressed in mammary gland epithelial cells.
