[Efficacy and cardiovascular tolerability of minotricon in the treatment of seborrheic alopecia]. / Studio di efficacia e tollerabilità cardiovascolare di "Minotricon" nel trattamento dell'alopecia seborroica.

The paper reports the results of local treatment using minoxidil 2% in a watery solution at a dose of 2 ml/day in 50 patients affected by androgenetic alopecia. The results were analysed statistically using Wilcoxon's non-parametric test and Mac Nemar's test.

[1% econazole hair-shampoo in the treatment of pityriasis capitis; a comparative study versus zinc-pyrithione shampoo]. / Econazolo 1% hair-shampoo nel trattamento della Pityriasis capitis; studio di confronto vs zinco-piritione shampoo.

On the basis of the assumption that Pityrosporum ovale is an important pathogenic factor in the aetiology of Pityriasis simplex capitis (dandruff), the Authors intended to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of econazole (1% hair-shampoo) in the treatment of this scalp disease. Dandruff could be considered a problem more from a cosmetic than from a medical point of view; for this reason a conventional anti-dandruff hair-shampoo containing zinc-pyrithione was selected as a control. In this open controlled study, seventy patients suffering from different forms of Pityriasis simplex capitis were enrolled at the 1th Dermatological Institute, University of Milan, and randomly assigned to the econazole and zinc-pyrithione treatment groups, respectively. At the end of the four-weeks treatment (two applications/week) a marked decrease in signs (scaling, seborrhea, erythema) and symptoms (burning, itching) was observed in both groups. Regarding the antifungal efficacy, econazole hair-shampoo was slightly better than control. General evaluation on tolerability and cosmetical patterns was favourable for both formulations.

[Transitory efficacy of potassium perchlorate in hypothyroidism caused by amiodarone]. / Transitoria efficacia del perclorato di potassio nell'ipotiroidismo da amiodarone.

We report a case of a patient with hypothyroidism due to amiodarone. The short-term administration (1 g/die for 10 days) of potassium perchlorate (KClO4) led to normalization of serum thyroid hormone concentrations and marked reduction of thyrotropic hormone. The reduction of KClO4 (400 mg/die) and its following withdrawal led to reappearance of hypothyroidism signs. No side-effects or toxic reactions occurred during KClO4 therapy. This anion competitively inhibits thyroid iodide transport, reducing intrathyroidal iodide content and removing thyroid hormone synthesis inhibition. We suggest KClO4 therapy when amiodarone-associated hypothyroidism impairs a pre-existent cardiac disease and when a quick restoration of euthyroidism is necessary. Nevertheless, we emphasize that its effect can be transitory in cases of short-term treatment or low doses.