Treatment of actinic prurigo in Chimila Indians.
BACKGROUND
Actinic prurigo has a high prevalence in women of child-bearing age. Its treatment has been, among others, with thalidomide. To avoid the deleterious effects of this drug on the embryo, therapeutic alternatives have been sought. Among these, tetracycline and vitamin E have been investigated as to their influence on the symptoms of actinic prurigo. Both these drugs affect superoxide radicals that are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of actinic prurigo.


METHODS
Patients (Chimila Indians with a high prevalence of actinic prurigo) received either (a) tetracycline, 500 mg three times daily, for 6 months, or (b) vitamin E, 100 IU daily, for 6 months. The patients were seen once monthly. There were eight patients in each group.


RESULTS
Both drugs used were effective. Pruritus was remarkably improved by either treatment. None of the side effects were severe enough to lead to interruption of treatment, but the observation period posttreatment was relatively short, 4 months for tetracycline and 2 months for vitamin E. The improvement occurred in spite of the continuation of extensive exposure to the sun.


CONCLUSIONS
Tetracycline and vitamin E are efficacious in relieving the pruritus of actinic prurigo. Preliminary trials of a combination treatment with these two drugs is a new avenue which has shown in preliminary trials to yield synergistic effects which might allow the dosage of tetracycline to be reduced.
Durán
M M
MM
Dermatology Unit, Javeriana University, Bogotá, Colombia.
Ordoñez
C P
CP
Prieto
J C
JC
Bernal
J
J
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002613:Cheilitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D011536:Prurigo / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014810:Vitamin E; D013752:Tetracycline