-
Cureus Aug 2021Acne vulgaris is a frequently encountered dermatological condition in clinical practice. Isotretinoin is one of the drugs prescribed for this condition. However, it is... (Review)
Review
Acne vulgaris is a frequently encountered dermatological condition in clinical practice. Isotretinoin is one of the drugs prescribed for this condition. However, it is unclear whether the use of this drug worsens or improves the psychological effects in an acne patient and whether it is advisable to use this drug commonly. This systematic review aims to assess the relationship between Isotretinoin and psychiatric side effects in acne patients. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles published within the last 10 years were taken into account and a review was conducted on the relevant articles after critical appraisal. Nine studies were finalized for discussion and out of the nine studies, two studies concluded that Isotretinoin could cause psychiatric effects. Five studies showed no association between them. Two studies unexpectedly found that psychiatric symptoms improved because of Isotretinoin use. Lack of adequate sample size and absence of randomized controlled trials are the limitations of this study. To conclude, Isotretinoin can be prescribed as a treatment option for severe acne despite some evidence of link with psychiatric effects. However, bearing the side effects in mind, a detailed evaluation before initiating the drug and a thorough monitoring while using the drug should be done as a standard practice in order to be on the safer side.
PubMed: 34513424
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.16834 -
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment Dec 2023Isotretinoin is frequently used for treatment of severe nodulocystic and papulopustular acne, however use is limited by mucocutaneous, ocular, and systemic side... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Isotretinoin is frequently used for treatment of severe nodulocystic and papulopustular acne, however use is limited by mucocutaneous, ocular, and systemic side effects. (1) provide a systematic meta-analysis of ocular side effects during isotretinoin use and their corresponding incidences; (2) provide a narrative summary of ocular side effects during isotretinoin use reported in case reports. A systematic database search using predefined search terms was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus from inception to 5 March, 2021. Predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select included studies. In total, 53 original studies qualified for meta-analysis, and 41 case reports/series qualified for narrative results. The studies included in the meta-analysis reported incidences of various ocular side effects including dry eye, eye sensitivity, vision changes, and ocular inflammatory conditions. Incidences across studies did vary, leading to considerable heterogeneity. The narrative results summarize more uncommon, but equally important, ocular side effects. Dry eye is the most commonly reported ocular side effect. Other less common, but more serious, ocular side effects including vision changes can occur. We recommend that isotretinoin prescribers monitor for dry eye. Limitations include the heterogeneity of reported incidences of ocular side effects between studies.
Topics: Humans; Acne Vulgaris; Dermatologic Agents; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Dry Eye Syndromes; Eye; Face; Isotretinoin
PubMed: 37248700
DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2023.2213364 -
Medical Acupuncture Jun 2013Acupoint stimulation-including acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, acupoint injection, and acupoint catgut embedding-has shown a beneficial effect for treating acne.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Acupoint stimulation-including acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, acupoint injection, and acupoint catgut embedding-has shown a beneficial effect for treating acne. However, comprehensive evaluation of current clinical evidence is lacking.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness and safety of all acupoint stimulation techniques used to treat acne vulgaris.
DESIGN
A systematic review was conducted. It included only randomized controlled trials on acupoint stimulation for acne. Six electronic databases were searched for English and Chinese language studies. All searches ended in May 2012. Studies were selected for eligibility and assessed for quality. RevMan 5.1 software was used for data analysis with an effect estimate presented as risk ratios () or mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).
PATIENTS
Studies with subjects who were diagnosed with acne vulgaris, or papulopustular, inflammatory, adolescent, or polymorphic acne-regardless of gender, age, and ethnicity-were included.
INTERVENTION
Interventions included any acupoint stimulation technique-such as acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, acupoint injection, and acupoint catgut embedding-compared with no treatment, placebo, or conventional pharmaceutical medication.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Reduction of signs and symptoms and presence of adverse effects were examined.
RESULTS
Forty-three trials involving 3453 patients with acne were included. The methodological quality of trials was generally poor in terms of randomization, blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. Meta-analyses showed significant differences in increasing the number of cured patients between acupuncture plus herbal medicine and herbal medicine alone (: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.19-2.14; =0.002), and between acupuncture plus herbal facial mask and herbal facial mask alone (: 2.14; 95% CI: 1.29-3.55; =0.003). Cupping therapy was significantly better than pharmaceutical medications for increasing the number of cured patients (: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.45-3.07; <0.0001). Serious adverse events were not reported in all included trials.
CONCLUSIONS
Acupoint stimulation therapies combined with other treatments appears to be effective for acne. However, further large, rigorously designed trials are needed to confirm these findings.
PubMed: 24761172
DOI: 10.1089/acu.2012.0906 -
Scars, Burns & Healing 2018Acne scarring is a very common problem, which can be extensive, and may lead to significant psychosocial morbidity. Multiple types of treatments are used to ameliorate... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Acne scarring is a very common problem, which can be extensive, and may lead to significant psychosocial morbidity. Multiple types of treatments are used to ameliorate atrophic scars with varying degrees of success. This paper provides an overview of the various energy-based modalities that are commonly employed against acne scarring.
OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
A comprehensive literature search of papers published since 2008 was performed in order to determine the efficacy and adverse reactions of commonly used energy-based treatments against post-acne scarring.
RESULTS
A total of 59 relevant articles were identified covering a multitude of different devices.
DISCUSSION
Ablative lasers seem to achieve the highest degree of efficacy, albeit this is associated with significant pain and downtime, and the risk for long-term pigmentary changes. Non-ablative fractional photothermolysis (FP) has a much safer profile but cannot achieve as good cosmetic results. The efficacies of fractional radiofrequency microneedling and radiofrequency are slightly inferior to that of FP but offer an even safer adverse profile. Little evidence is available on the remaining devices, with larger studies required in order to reach more solid conclusions.
CONCLUSION
Multiple devices have been used with varying levels of efficacy and very different safety profiles. There is an overall lack of high-quality evidence about the effects of different interventions. Furthermore, no standardised scale is available for acne scarring, leading to variability in evaluation and interpretation of data in different studies.
PubMed: 30627441
DOI: 10.1177/2059513118793420 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023As face masks became mandatory in most countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, adverse effects require substantiated investigation. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
As face masks became mandatory in most countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, adverse effects require substantiated investigation.
METHODS
A systematic review of 2,168 studies on adverse medical mask effects yielded 54 publications for synthesis and 37 studies for meta-analysis (on = 8,641, = 2,482, = 6,159, age = 34.8 ± 12.5). The median trial duration was only 18 min (IQR = 50) for our comprehensive evaluation of mask induced physio-metabolic and clinical outcomes.
RESULTS
We found significant effects in both medical surgical and N95 masks, with a greater impact of the second. These effects included decreased SpO (overall Standard Mean Difference, SMD = -0.24, 95% CI = -0.38 to -0.11, < 0.001) and minute ventilation (SMD = -0.72, 95% CI = -0.99 to -0.46, < 0.001), simultaneous increased in blood-CO (SMD = +0.64, 95% CI = 0.31-0.96, < 0.001), heart rate (N95: SMD = +0.22, 95% CI = 0.03-0.41, = 0.02), systolic blood pressure (surgical: SMD = +0.21, 95% CI = 0.03-0.39, = 0.02), skin temperature (overall SMD = +0.80 95% CI = 0.23-1.38, = 0.006) and humidity (SMD +2.24, 95% CI = 1.32-3.17, < 0.001). Effects on exertion (overall SMD = +0.9, surgical = +0.63, N95 = +1.19), discomfort (SMD = +1.16), dyspnoea (SMD = +1.46), heat (SMD = +0.70), and humidity (SMD = +0.9) were significant in = 373 with a robust relationship to mask wearing ( < 0.006 to < 0.001). Pooled symptom prevalence ( = 8,128) was significant for: headache (62%, < 0.001), acne (38%, < 0.001), skin irritation (36%, < 0.001), dyspnoea (33%, < 0.001), heat (26%, < 0.001), itching (26%, < 0.001), voice disorder (23%, < 0.03), and dizziness (5%, = 0.01).
DISCUSSION
Masks interfered with O-uptake and CO-release and compromised respiratory compensation. Though evaluated wearing durations are shorter than daily/prolonged use, outcomes independently validate mask-induced exhaustion-syndrome (MIES) and down-stream physio-metabolic disfunctions. MIES can have long-term clinical consequences, especially for vulnerable groups. So far, several mask related symptoms may have been misinterpreted as long COVID-19 symptoms. In any case, the possible MIES contrasts with the WHO definition of health.
CONCLUSION
Face mask side-effects must be assessed (risk-benefit) against the available evidence of their effectiveness against viral transmissions. In the absence of strong empirical evidence of effectiveness, mask wearing should not be mandated let alone enforced by law.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021256694, identifier: PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021256694.
Topics: Humans; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; COVID-19; Masks; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; Carbon Dioxide; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Respiratory Protective Devices; Dyspnea
PubMed: 37089476
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1125150 -
Pharmaceutics Jan 2022(1) Background: Colchicine is a natural alkaloid with anti-inflammatory properties used to treat various disorders, including some skin diseases. This paper aims to... (Review)
Review
(1) Background: Colchicine is a natural alkaloid with anti-inflammatory properties used to treat various disorders, including some skin diseases. This paper aims to incorporate all the available studies proposing colchicine as a treatment alternative in the management of cutaneous conditions. (2) Methods: In this systematic review, the available articles present in various databases (PubMed, Scopus-Embase, and Web of Science), proposing colchicine as a treatment for cutaneous pathological conditions, have been selected. Exclusion criteria included a non-English language and non-human studies. (3) Results: Ninety-six studies were included. Most of them were case reports and case series studies describing colchicine as single therapy, or in combination with other drugs. Hidradenitis suppurativa, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema nodosum, erythema induratum, storage diseases, perforating dermatosis, bullous diseases, psoriasis, vasculitis, acne, urticaria, stomatitis, actinic keratosis, and pustular dermatosis were the main diseases discussed in literature. Although the therapeutic outcomes were variable, most of the studies reported, on average, good clinical results (4) Conclusions: Colchicine could be, as a single therapy or in combination with other drugs, a possible treatment to manage several skin diseases.
PubMed: 35214027
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020294 -
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) 2016After cessation of successful initial acne therapy, patients often experience flares. Consecutive maintenance treatment after successful induction therapy is promoted by... (Review)
Review
After cessation of successful initial acne therapy, patients often experience flares. Consecutive maintenance treatment after successful induction therapy is promoted by guidelines; however, little is known about the efficacy/safety of different maintenance regimens. A systematic review on acne maintenance treatments was conducted. We identified 5 randomized controlled trials [RCTs; adapalene vs. vehicle or vs. no treatment (3 RCTs), adapalene/benzoyl peroxide (BPO) vs. vehicle, combination/monotherapy of minocycline (systemic)/tazarotene/placebo] and 3 non-RCTs on systemic isotretinoin, adapalene/BPO and azelaic acid. The results of adapalene versus vehicle/no treatment varied depending on the reported outcome. The 'number of patients maintaining at least 50% improvement' counting inflammatory lesions/non-inflammatory lesions with adapalene was superior to vehicle (risk ratio, RR 1.24, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.08-1.43/RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.18-1.59). However, no significant differences were found in 2 of 3 RCTs for maintaining 'clear/almost clear' or 'mild acne' or on the global grading score. For the combination regimens of minocycline/tazarotene/placebo, no significant differences were found. Adapalene/BPO was superior to vehicle counting inflammatory lesions/non-inflammatory lesions (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.31-1.99; RR 1.80, 95% CI 1.44-2.26). Due to the scarcity of studies, few conclusions can be drawn. More homogeneous outcome measures and specific maintenance study designs may lead to more robust findings.
Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Adapalene; Administration, Cutaneous; Benzoyl Peroxide; Dermatologic Agents; Gels; Humans; Isotretinoin; Nicotinic Acids; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 27220773
DOI: 10.1159/000446069 -
NPJ Digital Medicine Sep 2023Skin diseases affect one-third of the global population, posing a major healthcare burden. Deep learning may optimise healthcare workflows through processing skin images... (Review)
Review
Skin diseases affect one-third of the global population, posing a major healthcare burden. Deep learning may optimise healthcare workflows through processing skin images via neural networks to make predictions. A focus of deep learning research is skin lesion triage to detect cancer, but this may not translate to the wider scope of >2000 other skin diseases. We searched for studies applying deep learning to skin images, excluding benign/malignant lesions (1/1/2000-23/6/2022, PROSPERO CRD42022309935). The primary outcome was accuracy of deep learning algorithms in disease diagnosis or severity assessment. We modified QUADAS-2 for quality assessment. Of 13,857 references identified, 64 were included. The most studied diseases were acne, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, vitiligo, urticaria. Deep learning algorithms had high specificity and variable sensitivity in diagnosing these conditions. Accuracy of algorithms in diagnosing acne (median 94%, IQR 86-98; n = 11), rosacea (94%, 90-97; n = 4), eczema (93%, 90-99; n = 9) and psoriasis (89%, 78-92; n = 8) was high. Accuracy for grading severity was highest for psoriasis (range 93-100%, n = 2), eczema (88%, n = 1), and acne (67-86%, n = 4). However, 59 (92%) studies had high risk-of-bias judgements and 62 (97%) had high-level applicability concerns. Only 12 (19%) reported participant ethnicity/skin type. Twenty-four (37.5%) evaluated the algorithm in an independent dataset, clinical setting or prospectively. These data indicate potential of deep learning image analysis in diagnosing and monitoring common skin diseases. Current research has important methodological/reporting limitations. Real-world, prospectively-acquired image datasets with external validation/testing will advance deep learning beyond the current experimental phase towards clinically-useful tools to mitigate rising health and cost impacts of skin disease.
PubMed: 37758829
DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00914-8 -
Experimental Dermatology Oct 2021Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with still largely unknown pathogenesis. While infectious organisms...
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with still largely unknown pathogenesis. While infectious organisms have been identified in lesions of the disease since the 1980s, questions remain over the role that bacteria and microbiome play. Recent studies using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and larger culture-based studies have begun to paint a clearer picture of the microbial world of HS. With this systematic review, we summarize all the work that has been done to date in HS bacteriology, analyse potential pitfalls and limitations of the current studies, and address future directions of investigation. This systematic review attempted to collate and analyse all bacteriology studies done to date. This review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (1670769) performed in line with the PRISMA checklist. Twenty two studies were identified comprising 862 individual HS patients for culture studies and 206 HS patients for 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies. Methodology tended to be varied, with different sampling, culturing and sequencing methods as well as amount of analysis and stratification of patients. Bacteria identified as elevated in HS lesions in sequencing studies as well as grown from HS lesions in culture studies are identified and discussed. These primarily included the anerobic Gram-negative bacilli Prevotella, Porphyromonas and Fusibacterium, the Gram-positive bacilli Corynebacterium, and the Gram-positive cocci Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Parvimonas. Potential interactions, as well as work in other disease models with related bacteria are also discussed. Areas of further investigation include in vitro studies of interactions between bacteria and keratinocytes, gut and oral microbiome studies and deep sequencing studies for virulence and phage factors.
Topics: Hidradenitis Suppurativa; Humans; Metagenomics; Microbiota; Skin
PubMed: 32614993
DOI: 10.1111/exd.14141 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023Skin conditions are a significant cause of fatal and nonfatal disease burdens globally, ranging from mild irritations to debilitating diseases. Oxidative stress, which... (Review)
Review
Skin conditions are a significant cause of fatal and nonfatal disease burdens globally, ranging from mild irritations to debilitating diseases. Oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and the cells' ability to repair damage, is implicated in various skin diseases. Antioxidants have been studied for their potential benefits in dermatologic health, but the evidence is limited and conflicting. Herein, we conducted a systematic review of controlled trials, meta-analyses, and Cochrane review articles to evaluate the current evidence on the utility of antioxidant supplementation for adjunct prevention and treatment of skin disease and to provide a comprehensive assessment of their role in promoting dermatologic health. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and Epistemonikos databases were queried. Eligibility criteria included (1) primary focus on nanoparticle utility for skin cancer; (2) includes measurable outcomes data with robust comparators; (3) includes a number of human subjects or cell-line types, where applicable; (4) English language; and (5) archived as full-text journal articles. A total of 55 articles met the eligibility criteria for the present review. Qualitative analysis revealed that topical and oral antioxidant supplementation has demonstrated preliminary efficacy in reducing sunburns, depigmentation, and photoaging. Dietary exogenous antioxidants (namely vitamins A, C, and E) have shown chemopreventive effects against skin cancer. Antioxidant supplementation has also shown efficacy in treating non-cancer dermatoses, including rosacea, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and acne vulgaris. While further studies are needed to validate these findings on a larger scale, antioxidant supplementation holds promise for improving skin health and preventing skin diseases.
PubMed: 37627498
DOI: 10.3390/antiox12081503