RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cholinergic urticaria does not respond well to treatment with conventional antihistamines and is difficult to study because of its highly variable clinical expression which depends on the presence of eliciting factors. OBJECTIVE: We have therefore designed a double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial, with a 3-week treatment period using either 20 mg/day of cetirizine or placebo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Presence of eliciting factors and symptoms were scored daily on a diary card by the patient, with a scale from 0 to 3 for erythema, wheals and pruritus. Statistical analysis was done on 11 evaluable patients during the last 2 weeks of each treatment period (to allow for 1 week of washout) and only for days when eliciting factors were present. Compared to placebo, cetirizine caused a statistically significant reduction of wheals (p = 0.015), erythema (p = 0.033), pruritus (p = 0.006) and all symptoms (p = 0.013). No adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION: These data show a high efficacy of cetirizine at twice its normally recommended dose which may be related to the specific antiallergic effects of this newer-generation antihistamine.
Assuntos
Antialérgicos/uso terapêutico , Cetirizina/uso terapêutico , Colinérgicos/imunologia , Urticária/tratamento farmacológico , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Antialérgicos/administração & dosagem , Cetirizina/administração & dosagem , Estudos Cross-Over , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Método Duplo-Cego , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Resultado do Tratamento , Urticária/etiologiaAssuntos
Dermatite Fotoalérgica/diagnóstico , Testes do Emplastro/métodos , Alérgenos , Áustria , Alemanha , Humanos , SuíçaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The in vitro antifungal activity of lithium succinate has been evaluated against 46 different Malassezia furfur strains, isolated from patients suffering from dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and pityriasis versicolor. METHODS: Minimum inhibitory concentrations of lithium succinate were measured by the agar dilution technique. RESULTS: Lithium succinate was found to be able to inhibit growth of all investigated M. furfur isolates in vitro but at much higher concentrations than those which are normally used for susceptibility testing. Minimum inhibitory concentrations between 1,250 and 10,000 micrograms/ml were determined. When compared to the 8% lithium succinate ointment, the investigated concentrations are even far below this 8% value. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the effect of lithium succinate ointment in seborrheic dermatitis therapy in vivo may be at least partly due to an antifungal activity of the agent.
