Seborrhoeic dermatitis: current treatment practices.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) is a recurrent, chronic inflammation of the skin that occurs on sebum rich areas such as the face, scalp and chest, characterised by red scaly lesions. The are many studies indicating that Malassezia yeasts play an important role in the aetiology of this condition, most of the evidence for which comes from demonstrated responsiveness to treatment with antifungal agents. Its aetiology, however, is far from being resolved. Some believe that it is the immune response of the skin to the Malassezia that is the cause of the disease. Traditional treatments of SD have been the use of keratolytic agents or corticosteroids. Since the discovery of ketoconazole, a considerable amount of research has been focused on determining the efficacy of various antifungal agents. This article reviews clinical trial data on treatment options available for SD.
Gupta
Aditya K
AK
Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Center (Sunnybrook site) and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. agupta@execulink.com
Kogan
Nataly
N
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012628:Dermatitis, Seborrheic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008094:Lithium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008290:Malassezia; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000379:methods
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C055085:calcipotriene; D008094:Lithium; D002117:Calcitriol