title: Pustulosis palmo-plantaris. Clinical and histological changes during etretin (acitretin) therapy.
abstract: We examined the clinical and histological effects of etretin in pustulosis palmo-plantaris (PPP) in a multicentre study. 30 patients with PPP were treated with etretin in a double-blind study. After a 4-week interval of either etretin (50 mg/day) or placebo (randomized), all patients received etretin during a second period of 20 weeks (the dosage was individually varied). The effect of etretin was verified clinically and by immunhistochemical methods. The number of pustules in a 4 cm2 reference area diminished within the first 4 weeks from 8.5 to 1.9 (etretin group) and from 9.0 to 6.2 (placebo group). Within a maximum of 24 weeks 16% of the patients showed a complete remission, 44% a pronounced improvement, and 22% little improvement. The state of 2% of the patients deteriorated. Immunhistologically, the number of granulocytes was reduced in the inflammatory infiltrate and in the pustules. Etretin is therefore a retinoid, which is easily controlled and effective in PPP.
authors.affiliation: Dermatologische Klinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum im St. Josef-Hospital, FRG.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zaun
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holzmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Altmeyer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: el-Gammal
mesh_terms: D017255:Acitretin; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin; D017255:Acitretin