Publication:

Randomised controlled study for comparing the efficacy of tretinoin 0.05% cream alone versus tretinoin combined with microdermabrasion in adult patients of alopecia areata

Background Alopecia areata is non-scarring autoimmune disease. It is characterized by discrete patches of non-scarring hair loss and may involve scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, axillary hair and pubic hair. Therapeutic armamentarium is expanding with detailed elucidation of patho-mechanisms and emergence of new drugs like janus kinase inhibitors.

Methods An interventional prospective study was conducted on the patients which were randomized into two groups (19 patients each) by lottery system, patients of group A were treated with tretinoin 0.05% cream whereas in group B patients microdermabrasion (MDA) was performed at baseline, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th weeks in addition to the application of tretinoin 0.05% cream daily.

Results The mean GPI% in Group A was 6.26±5.13 and group B was 32.63±15.29% which is significantly higher at the end of 2 weeks (p=0.001). At 8 weeks, mean GPI in group A was 10.95±6.79 and in group B was 51.42±12.42 which was also significantly higher (p=0.026) as compared to group A. Similarly mean VAS in group A at 2 weeks and 8 weeks (0.62±0.51 and 1.1±0.67) and in group B was (3.27±1.53 and 5.16±1.26) which was significantly higher with difference in p value at 2 weeks between the two groups was p=0.001 and at 8 weeks was p=0.017. There was significant change in GPI and VAS at 8 weeks, in group A as compared to group B.

Conclusions This study revealed that tretinoin was more effective than the combination with MDA.