Monitoring adherence to vulvar lichen sclerosus treatment - a prospective study.

Background: Vulvar lichen sclerosus treatment consists of topical corticosteroids followed by maintenance therapy. Self-reported adherence to topical corticosteroids in vulvar lichen sclerosus is approximately 66-70.4% and adherence to chronic topical medications is poor.Objective: To measure treatment adherence for vulvar lichen sclerosus.Methods: Adults with vulvar lichen sclerosus who were receiving or who were candidates to receive treatment with topical clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment twice daily received medication tubes equipped with adherence monitors capturing the time and amount of dose dispensed. After 2 months, monitors were returned, and patients were surveyed regarding their adherence.Results: Ten patients participated for a median (range) of 8.5 (7-11) weeks. Eight (80%) and 7 (70%) caps captured medication timing and dosing events, respectively. Median (interquartile range) adherence was 65% (42-77) and median (interquartile range) medication dispensed per use was 0.15 (0.14 - 0.5) grams. Of the 8 patients using active adherence monitors, 2 did not clinically improve; adherence rates and mean quantity dispensed for these two patients were 31% and 0.13 grams, and 9% and 0.74 grams, respectively.Conclusion: Poor adherence to both twice daily application and prescribed medication quantity occurred frequently. Factors related to self-reported non-adherence included perceived greater efficacy, inconvenience, and time-constraints. Patient adherence to recommended treatment and clinical outcomes are areas for improvement in patients with vulvar lichen sclerosus.

Dapsone to Treat Moderate-to-Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Retrospective Case-Series.

BACKGROUND: Management of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is challenging since no single treatment provides consistently effective results, leaving patients with frequent relapses. Dapsone combines anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties that address aspects of HS pathogenesis. Few studies have evaluated the efficacy of oral dapsone on HS, especially in severe disease. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with moderate-to-severe HS treated with dapsone. METHODS: This retrospective chart review evaluated HS patients treated with oral dapsone over the past 10 years at one center. Treatment outcomes were classified based on Hurley staging, physician exam, and symptom progression. Adverse effects and concomitant treatment with dapsone were reviewed. RESULTS: Nineteen (19) patients with moderate-to-severe (Hurley Stage II-III) HS treated with oral dapsone were identified. Within 1-3 months, on dosages of dapsone varying from 25-100 mg/day, 3 patients (15.8%) had a clinically significant improvement in symptoms, 10 patients (52.6%) had a slight improvement, and 6 patients (31.6%) had no change in disease state; no patients deteriorated. The majority who improved were also on other medications, most commonly adalimumab. 4 patients experienced adverse effects, with nausea being most common; otherwise, dapsone was well-tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Dapsone may have some efficacy for moderate-to-severe HS and seems well-tolerated. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(11):e12-e16    doi:10.36849/JDD.4936e.

Stigmatization, a social perception which may have a debilitating impact on hidradenitis suppurativa patients: an observational study.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating disease and patients are prone to feelings of stigmatization. In our cohort, we assessed how feelings of stigmatization may relate to patient quality of life (QOL), depression, and social anxiety. Participants completed the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) to assess QOL, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression, the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) to assess social anxiety, and an adapted version of the Feelings of Stigmatization (FoS) to assess stigmatization. The FoS also correlated with DLQI (R = 0.68), PHQ-9 (R = 0.42), and BFNE (R = 0.52). Participants with greater FoS were also more likely to have worse QOL (18.1), higher levels of depression (11.1), and higher social anxiety (30.1), as compared to those with less FoS (6.7, P < 0.001; 4.9, P < 0.001; 23.2, P < 0.001, respectively). HS is a chronic disease with no definitive treatment. Effective screening protocols, coupled with pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions, may help patients with HS's psychosocial burden.

Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus Clinical Characteristics and Treatment: A Retrospective Review of 25 Patients.

Lupus erythematosus tumidus (LET) is a rare photosensitive der-matosis that was considered a subtype of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE); however, its clinical course and favorable prognosis led to its reclassification into another category called intermittent CLE. Although known for more than 100 years, LET's association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), autoantibody profile, and disease prognosis is not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to describe the demographics, clinical characteristics, autoantibody profile, comorbidities, and treatment of LET.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa's Impact on Social Activities: An Observational Study.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can severely impact patients' quality of life. However, its specific impact on participation in everyday social activities is not well characterized. We recruited a cohort of patients with HS to complete a survey assessing the degree of interference HS has on participation in social activities. Patients also completed the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) to assess levels of social anxiety. The majority of patients in our cohort, regardless of Hurley Stage, reported interference with social activities, and patients with more painful nodules and greater body region involvement reported greater interference with social activities. BFNE scores were high in our cohort, and patients with higher BFNE scores reported greater interference in all social activities assessed. Both the physical and psychological effects of HS may interfere with patients' participation in social activities, and efforts to treat both aspects may improve quality of life.

Topical methotrexate in dermatology: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Systemic methotrexate (MTX) is a useful treatment for many dermatologic conditions, however, the risk of adverse events prevents its use in patients with minimal or localized disease. Topical application of MTX may be an option to avoid the systemic adverse effects of oral MTX. OBJECTIVE: To assess what is known about the efficacy and safety of topical methotrexate. METHODS: A search on Pubmed was conducted. There were no limits on publication date. RESULTS: A total of 963 articles were discovered. Using our exclusion criteria, 916 articles were excluded; 47 articles were used for full text assessment. Topical MTX has been used primarily in psoriasis but also in mycosis fungoides, lymphomatoid papulosis, and oral precancerous lesions. Optimal delivery system and formulation for adequate penetration is still under investigation. CONCLUSION: The quality of evidence for the utility of topical methotrexate in psoriasis is good, however, for other dermatologic diseases, the quality is poor. Topical MTX with improved delivery methods may be a viable tool against certain localized dermatologic conditions for patients who do not tolerate oral MTX. Further double-blinded randomized controled studies are needed to substantiate the utility of topical methotrexate.

A Comparison of Alternative Medicine Users and Non-Users in Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa patients often seek non-prescription therapies. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of alternative medicine use and characterize the differences between patients who report using alternative medications versus those who do not. METHODS: We surveyed 67 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa regarding demographics, alternative medicine use, disease severity, and quality of life. RESULTS: 25 (37.2%) of the HS subjects reported alternative medicine use. Alternative medicine users tended to be younger (36.7 vs 40.8 years), have a shorter time since diagnosis (12.6 vs14.6 years), and reported worse quality of life (14.1 vs 11.0) than non-users. These differences were not statistically significant. LIMITATIONS: Limitations included a small sample size. CONCLUSION: Alternative medicine use among patients with hidradenitis is common regardless of disease severity; even mild disease may drive patients to seek alternative treatment. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(10):1072-1074. doi:10.36849/JDD.6046.