title: Pimecrolimus 1% cream for pruritus in postmenopausal diabetic women with vulvar lichen simplex chronicus: a prospective non-controlled case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pruritus vulvae may have a variety of causes, such as infections, dermatologic disorders or non-neoplastic/neoplastic vulvar diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and side effects of topical pimecrolimus 1% cream for pruritus vulvae.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve postmenopausal diabetic women with vulvar lichen simplex chronicus were enrolled in this trial. Each patient was treated with pimecrolimus 1% cream which was applied twice daily in a thin layer to the vulvae for 3 months. Clinical examination and recording of patients' symptoms using a scoring system was performed by the same physician before, after 4 weeks and after 3 months of therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the patients completed the study. A substantial decrease in pruritus after treatment was reported by the patients at the 4th week (2.17+/-0.72, p<0.01) and 3rd month of treatment (0.42+/-0.92, p<0.001) when compared with the baseline score (3.75+/-0.45). Follow-up of the patients after 3 months of treatment showed that complete cure occurred in 10 patients (83.3%) and the pruritus was improved in two (16.7%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pimecrolimus 1% cream seems to be an effective and safe treatment modality for pruritus in postmenopausal women with vulvar lichen simplex chronicus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Numune Education and Research Hospital, Adana, Turkey. drhandankelekci@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Handan Kiymet
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kelekci
authors.forename: Hikmet Gulsen
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Uncu
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Orcun
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Necdet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sut
authors.forename: Sefa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelekci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009450:Neurodermatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017698:Postmenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011539:Pruritus Vulvae / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; C117268:pimecrolimus; D016559:Tacrolimus