Methimazole in the Treatment of Melasma: A Clinical and Dermascopic Study

BACKGROUND: Melasma is a chronic hypermelanotic disorder that is challenging to treat; no single effective therapeutic agent for it has been discovered. Methimazole, an oral antithyroid drug, has a skin depigmenting effect when used topically. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of methimazole, applied during microneedling sessions and additional topical use in between sessions, for the treatment of melasma. METHODS: This split-face study included 30 Egyptian patients with melasma, each of whom received 12 microneedling sessions once per week for 12 weeks followed by topical methimazole on the right side of face and placebo on the left side. In between the sessions, topical methimazole 5% cream was applied twice per day on the right side and placebo on the left side. Assessments were performed using the Hemi-melasma Area and Severity Index (hemi-MASI) percentage of improvement, patient satisfaction, dermoscopy, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) serum levels. RESULTS: There were significant clinical and dermoscopic improvements; hemi-MASI scores on the methimazole-treated right sides were decreased (p<0.001). The percent of hemi-MASI score improvement was significantly associated with the malar pattern (p=0.031) and epidermal type (p=0.04) of melasma. About 70 percent of our studied patients reported being satisfied with their treatment response (7% excellent, 33% good, 30% fair). No significant local or systemic side effects were observed. Pre- and posttreatment serum TSH levels were within the normal range in all treated cases. CONCLUSIONS: Methimazole has the potential to be a safe and promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of melasma via dermapen-delivered microneedling sessions with topical use in between sessions.     

Treatment of acne vulgaris with fractional radiofrequency microneedling

Fractional radiofrequency microneedling is a novel radiofrequency technique that uses insulated microneedles to deliver energy to the deep dermis at the point of penetration without destruction of the epidermis. It has been used for the treatment of various dermatological conditions including wrinkles, atrophic scars and hypertrophic scars. There have been few studies evaluating the efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedling in the treatment of acne, and none measuring objective parameters like the number of inflammatory and non‐inflammatory acne lesions or sebum excretion levels. The safety and efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedling in the treatment of acne vulgaris was investigated. In a prospective clinical trial, 25 patients with moderate to severe acne were treated with fractional radiofrequency microneedling. The procedure was carried out three times at 1‐month intervals. Acne lesion count, subjective satisfaction score, sebum excretion level and adverse effects were assessed at baseline and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the first treatment as well as 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the last treatment. Number of acne lesions (inflammatory and non‐inflammatory) decreased. Sebum excretion and subjective satisfaction were more favorable at every time point compared with the baseline values (P < 0.05). Inflammatory lesions responded better than non‐inflammatory lesions (P < 0.05). Adverse effects such as pinpoint bleeding, pain and erythema were noted, but were transient and not severe enough to stop treatment. Fractional radiofrequency microneedling is a safe and effective treatment for acne vulgaris.     

黄褐斑的治疗新进展

黄褐斑是一种面部获得性色素增加性皮肤病,多发于东亚地区和肤色较深的个体(FitzpatrickⅢ~Ⅵ型),病因复杂、易复发,治疗困难。目前治疗以有效改善、控制病情为目标,以综合治疗为思路,尚没有单一特效的治疗方法。综合治疗多以防晒、修复皮肤屏障为基础,联合外用药物以及内用氨甲环酸、谷胱甘肽等,中重度可选择化学剥脱或激光、强脉冲光等。但化学剥脱以及美容激光对亚洲肤色人群有色素沉着、色素减退、肤色不均及复发等风险,临床上选择需十分谨慎。     

Radiofrequency irradiation attenuates angiogenesis and inflammation in UVB-induced rosacea in mouse skin

Rosacea is a skin inflammatory condition accompanied by cutaneous signs such as oedema, flushing, erythema, telangiectasia and pustules. Generally, rosacea is triggered by ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure. When exposed to UVB, skin epidermis thickens and produces elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially keratinocyte-related VEGF, a potent angiogenic factor. The upregulations of VEGF expression and its secretion promote the formation of new blood vessels and exacerbates rosacea. In this study, radiofrequency (RF) irradiation reduced keratinocyte proliferation in the epidermal layer, the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, angiogenesis-related inflammatory factors and VEGF in our UVB-induced model of rosacea in vitro and in vivo. RF irradiation attenuated VEGF-induced angiogenesis-associated processes such as tube formation, cell migration and endothelial cell proliferation. Notably, blood vessel densities in the skins of UVB-treated mice and rosacea patients were significantly decreased by RF irradiation. These results provide experimental and molecular evidence regarding the effectiveness of RF irradiation for the treatment of rosacea.     

域发微针联合红光治疗雄激素性脱发的临床疗效分析

目的 观察域发微针联合红光治疗雄激素性脱发（AGA）的临床疗效。方法 选取2021年1月—2022年6月西南医科大学附属医院皮肤科就诊的90例AGA患者,随机分为微针组（域发微针治疗）、红光组（红光治疗）、联合组（域发微针联合红光治疗）,每组30例。比较各组治疗前后主观症状评分、毛发镜指标;比较各组临床疗效、患者满意度及不良反应。结果 联合组治疗前后油腻、瘙痒、头屑、脱发评分差值的变化程度均高于微针组、红光组（P <0.05）。联合组治疗前后毳毛比例、毛发密度、毛干直径差值的变化程度均高于微针组、红光组（P <0.05）。联合组总有效率、满意度高于微针组、红光组（P <0.0125）。各组脂溢性皮炎、头皮瘙痒、头屑增加、头皮感染、耳后淋巴结肿大、湿疹发生率比较,差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论域发微针及红光联合治疗AGA可有效改善患者症状,提高临床疗效及满意度,促进毛发生长,增加毛发密度、毛干直径,且安全可靠。