Effects of in vivo application of an overnight patch containing Allium cepa, allantoin, and pentaglycan on hypertrophic scars and keloids: Clinical, videocapillaroscopic, and ultrasonographic study.

Several therapeutic approaches have been described for their treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids, but to date, the optimal treatment has not been established yet. Our in vivo study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a medical device consisting in an adhesive patch containing onion extract (Allium cepa) 10%, allantoin 1%, and pentaglycan 4% (Kaloidon patch) on hypertrophic scars and keloids. Thirty-nine patients with hypertrophic scars and seven patients with keloids were asked to apply an adhesive patch containing Allium cepa, allantoin, and pentaglycan once/day for at least 8 h consecutively, for 24 weeks. Patients were reevaluated 6 weeks (T6), 12 weeks (T12), and 24 weeks (T24) after starting the treatment through POSAS scale v 2.0, ultrasonographic, and videocapillaroscopic assessment. The investigated medical device was able to induce a significant improvement of POSAS starting from T12, with a positive amelioration trend until T24. However the patient-assessed POSAS sub-items showed improvement already after 6 weeks, whereas a significant improvement of the observer-assessed POSAS sub-items was observed only after 12 weeks (P < .001). Ultrasonography and intravital videocapillaroscopy confirmed a significant improvement of skin scars thickness (P < .001) and vascularization (P < .001) after 12 weeks of medical device application at least, with increasing improvement until T24. Applying an adhesive patch containing Allium cepa, allantoin, and pentaglycan once a day for at least 8 consecutive hours seems to be able to improve the clinical and morphological characteristics of the scars of the skin in 24 weeks.

Efficacy and Safety of Topical Pidobenzone 4% as Adjuvant Treatment for Solar Lentigines: Result of a Randomized, Controlled, Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: This study aims at the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a combination therapy based on pidobenzone 4% and fractional CO2 laser or cryotherapy in the treatment of solar lentigines and the prevention of eventual posttreatment hyperchromia. METHODS: Efficacy was clinically evaluated by grading the pigmentation level with the Skin Tone Color Scale (STCS), and by grading patients' impression through a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: Our study shows that the associated treatment was safe and that it improves the therapeutic results on solar lentigines and prevents postiatrogenic hyperpigmentation compared with physical therapy alone. CONCLUSION: The combination of cryotherapy and pidobenzone 4% has been found to be the most useful treatment.

Helicobacter pylori infection in psoriasis: results of a clinical study and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Data from the literature concerning the role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in psoriasis are still conflicting. This study was carried out to evaluate prevalence of H. pylori in patients with mild to severe psoriasis, correlation between H. pylori infection and severity of psoriasis, and effect of H. pylori eradication on the clinical course of psoriasis. METHODS: Two hundred and ten patients with psoriasis and 150 healthy controls were screened for H. pylori through [(13) C] urea breath test at baseline (T0). All patients with psoriasis received standardized phototherapy treatment, and those infected by H. pylori were also treated with a 1-week triple therapy, then they were all re-evaluated four weeks later at the end of therapy (T5). RESULTS: The prevalence of H. pylori was not higher in psoriasis than in the control group (20.27 vs. 22%; P > 0.05). Patients infected by H. pylori showed more severe psoriasis than uninfected patients (psoriasis area and severity index score 17.9 ± 7.1 vs. 13.7 ± 6.9; P = 0.04), and patients who received successful eradication of H. pylori infection showed a greater improvement of psoriasis than the others (psoriasis area and severity index score at T5 in patients infected by H. pylori was 8.36 ± 3.76, in uninfected patients was 10.85 ± 3.49; P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with mild to severe psoriasis do not show a greater prevalence of H. pylori infection; however, H. pylori seems able to affect the clinical severity of psoriasis.