Evaluation and comparison of the efficacy and safety of the combination of topical phenytoin and microneedling with microneedling alone in the treatment of atrophic acne scars: A controlled blinded randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Severe acne breakouts often lead to atrophic acne scars, which affect millions of people worldwide and can significantly affect a person's self-confidence and self-image. Given the difficulty in treating atrophic acne scars, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of topical phenytoin in the treatment of atrophic acne scars. METHOD: This split face clinical trial on 25 patients between the ages of 18 and 40 involved the application of microneedling on one side of the face, with three sessions taking place over the course of a month. On the other side, a 1% phenytoin cream was administered three times daily for 1 week following the microneedling procedure. Baseline information was collected for all patients, and follow-up assessments were conducted during the treatment sessions and 2 months after the last session. The assessments included evaluating the number and area of pores and spots, determining scar severity, assessing patient satisfaction, and recording any potential complications. RESULTS: Among patients, 20 individuals (80%) were females, and the average age of the participants was 35.96 ± 9.23. In terms of the fine pore area, despite the fine pore count, both groups showed improvement over time (p: 0.03 vs. 0.06). Also, regarding large pore count and area, and the count and area of spots, both groups showed improvement over time (p: 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups (p > 0.05). On the other hand, when it comes to acne scar grade and patients' satisfaction, the phenytoin group outperformed the control group in all follow-up sessions and this difference was found to be significant (p: 0.001). It is worth noting that no complications were observed among any of the patients. CONCLUSION: It appears that combining phenytoin cream with microneedling has a more effective therapeutic outcome in enhancing atrophic acne scars, when compared to microneedling alone, and this method can be regarded as a viable alternative in treating these types of scars.

Successful treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa with tofacitinib: two cases and a review of the literature.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a major public health challenge affecting people globally, which is painful and the hard lumps under the skin are prone to infection. We aimed to investigate whether tofacitinib can help people with HS in a safe and effective way. In this study, we report two cases diagnosed with HS. Tofacitinib was used as a part of the treatment plan. The first patient received 5 mg of tofacitinib twice daily, 36 weeks, and the second one for 24 weeks. Clinical outcomes are described. The efficacy of tofacitinib in HS was confirmed in our study. The clinical characteristics of the patients improved after receiving tofacitinib. Lesions discharge significantly reduced, particularly in the axillary area. Tofacitinib may be useful as an adjuvant therapy when used in combination with other treatments. Further research in this area is required to improve our understanding of treatment with tofacitinib at HS.