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The management of chronic hand eczema is usually difficult. The aim of this open-label study is to assess the effectiveness and ‘steroid-sparing’ activity of a barrier cream containing polyvinylpyrrolidone in patients with chronic hand eczema. Rescue treatment with topical corticosteroids (TCs) was permitted in the event of eczema worsening, whereas preventive measures were maintained unchanged with respect to those adopted by patients in the past. Among the 207 participants, the main diagnosis was irritant contact dermatitis, followed by allergic contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. Nearly half of the patients (49%) applied the barrier cream once or twice a day, while the remaining patients used it three or more times per day. Regardless of rescue therapy with TCs, regular use of the barrier cream caused a progressive significant improvement of eczema severity, as indicated by dermatologists' and patients' assessments. A significant reduction in the amount of the TC applied in the last 3 months and in the number of TC treatment days during the previous 4 weeks was found at the end of 12-week treatment with the barrier cream as compared with baseline. The product was also well-tolerated and accepted by the majority of patients. The results of this study suggest that a barrier cream containing polyvinylpyrrolidone can represent a useful tool in the management of chronic hand eczema and may show steroid-sparing effects.

Results of topical treatments can be influenced by several factors, including accurate dosing based on the affected skin area. The aim of this open-labelled multicenter study is to evaluate if correct dosing of calcitriol ointment has an impact on the clinical response of plaque psoriasis. For this purpose, patients with plaque psoriasis eligible to be treated with calcitriol ointment were randomized to treatment with a ‘standardized dose’ method, using a dosing device (N. 100), or treatment without the device (N. 101), for 12 weeks. Regardless of the use of the dosing device, calcitriol ointment caused a significant reduction of both the severity of signs and symptoms and the extent of body surface area affected after both 4 weeks and 12 weeks. Clinical response was not significantly different between the two groups. Local adverse events occurred in 12 subjects (of whom five treated with the device) and were mild and transient in most cases.

Combined treatment with oral lymecycline and topical adapalene has been shown to induce greater and faster improvement of acne than monotherapy with lymecycline. We wanted to evaluate the effects of combined therapy with topical adapalene (cream or gel) plus oral lymecycline used at different dosages (group A: 300mg/day for 2 weeks and then 150mg/day for 14 weeks; group B: 300mg/day for 16 weeks) in 242 patients with inflammatory acne. Both dosage regimens were well tolerated in the majority of patients and significantly improved both the acne lesion count and seborrhoea. There was a trend towards a greater reduction of seborrhoea and nodules in patients of group B. After the initial 16-week phase, patients entered an 8-week follow-up phase, consisting of the use of adapalene monotherapy. The results obtained after this phase confirm the therapeutic value and the favourable tolerability of adapalene as maintenance treatment after successful treatment of inflammatory acne. At the same time, a significantly reduced count of comedones was observed in patients of group B as compared with group A, suggesting that prolonged use of high-dose lymecycline may have a more pronounced influence on comedogenesis.

Oral antibiotics, especially tetracyclines, are commonly used to treat moderate to moderately severe acne vulgaris. There are hints suggesting that a combination treatment with oral tetracyclines and topical retinoids can cause a greater and prompter improvement of acne than monotherapy with tetracyclines. We evaluated the clinical activity of a 12-week combined therapy with oral lymecycline (300mg/day for 2 weeks and then 150mg/day) and topical adapalene (gel or cream) in 419 patients with inflammatory acne. A significant reduction in the number of acne lesions was noted at 4 and 12 weeks (P

Treatment of cheilitis is usually difficult and often disappointing. We evaluated the effects of a topical preparation containing vitamin E acetate (VEA® lipogel) in 254 patients (mean age, 29.5) with cheilitis of various nature and etiology, involving the vermilion region and/or the perioral skin. The most frequent form of cheilitis was that induced by oral isotretinoin; other forms were irritant contact dermatitis, atopic cheilitis, and contact allergy. Patients were instructed to apply VEA® lipogel daily; the number of daily applications was modulated on the basis of the severity of symptoms (two or three times a day in the majority of cases). After 4 weeks of treatment, clinical examination showed that the severity of symptoms and signs significantly improved (P

Background: Studies on pulsed dye laser (PDL) have shown the best efficacy and safety data for treating vascular anomalies among the various lasers used and the 595-nm PDL has been used to treat cutaneous vascular anomalies for about 30 years. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of 595 nm Pulsed Dye Laser in the management of facial flat angiomas present in the form of Port-Wine Stain., Materials and Methods: Seven cases of PWS in Fitzpatrick skin type ranged from I to III and colour ranging from pink to purple, were treated with 595 nm pulse Dye Laser. Patients underwent to 6-8 laser sessions at 20-30 days intervals. Results obtained were judged by dermatologist, by comparing pre-treatment and post-treatment photographs, 6 months after the last session and a quartile scale of lesion clearance (4-point Investigator Global Assessment scale): 1 = no or low results (0%-25% of the lesion area improved), 2 = slight improvement (25%-50% of the lesion area cleared), 3 = moderate-good improvement (50%-75%), and 4 = excellent improvement (75%-100%) was used. Possible side effects such as blisters, hyper/hypopigmentation, and scarring were monitored., Results: All patients observed global improvements. 71% of patients achieved excellent clearance and 29% patients achieved good-moderate clearance of their angioma. Patients were asked for a subjective evaluation of the results: 57% of patients were very satisfied, 29% were satisfied, and 14% patients were not very satisfied with the results. No patients were dissatisfied. No significant side effects were noted., Conclusion: This research confirms the efficacy of the 595 nm PDL for flat angioma management, without considerable side effects., (© 2023 The Authors. Skin Research and Technology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Melasma is an acquired skin problem. It characterises sun-exposed areas, particularly on the face, with irregular borders and bilateral distribution. With this study, we want to strengthen the scientific literature regarding the use of a 675-nm laser device for the treatment of women and men with facial melasma pigmentary and vascular symptoms., Materials and Methods: Eighteen patients were treated for facial melasma. A total of three sessions at 30-day intervals were performed with a 675-nm laser device. A five-point Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale was used to separately assess the improvement of the patient's skin 3 months after the last treatment (T1) compared to baseline (T0). The pain during treatment was measured using a Visual Analog Scale of 10 points. The non-ablative laser system used emits red light with a wavelength of 675 nm through a 13 × 13 mm scanning system., Results: At T 1 , a consistent improvement in the pigmentary and vascular components was visible. This is always combined with a considerable reduction in vascular expression., Conclusion: Our research shows that individuals with Fitzpatrick phototypes II to III can treat facial melasma with the 675-nm laser source system without risk. Due to its interaction with melanin, collagen and haemoglobin chromophores, as well as its excellent capacity to penetrate tissues with less heating, this system is promising in the treatment of pigmentary and vascular illnesses such as melasma. The great success of the technology we used came from the reduced levels of inflammation produced after the treatments and the low energy level implied., (© 2023 The Authors. Skin Research and Technology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)