PubMed RSS Feed - - Enhancing effect of pretreatment with topical niacin in the treatment of rosacea-associated erythema by 585-nm pulsed dye laser in Koreans: A randomized, prospective, split-face trial.

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Enhancing effect of pretreatment with topical niacin in the treatment of rosacea-associated erythema by 585-nm pulsed dye laser in Koreans: A randomized, prospective, split-face trial.

Br J Dermatol. 2010 Dec 9;

Authors: Kim TG, Roh HJ, Cho SB, Lee JH, Lee SJ, Oh SH

Background  Rosacea is a chronic dermatosis that is usually confined to the face. A pulsed dye laser (PDL) system has been proven to be effective in treating rosacea-associated erythema and telangiectasias. Niacin is a cutaneous vasodilator that can increase the chromophore through increased blood flow. Objectives  We hypothesized that increased blood flow by pretreatment with topical niacin could enhance the effect of PDL in the treatment of rosacea. Methods  Eighteen Korean patients with rosacea were recruited. Three sessions of 585-nm PDL using a subpurpuragenic dose with and without pretreatment with niacin cream were performed on randomly-assigned half-faces at 3-week intervals. An objective erythema scale measurement was assessed by a polarization color imaging system, and evaluations by three blinded dermatologists were also taken. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using a 10-point visual analogue scale. Results  Fifteen total patients completed this study. All patients showed an improvement in erythema scale measurements after three sessions of PDL treatment both with and without niacin pretreatment (p=0.023 and 0.009, respectively). According to the amount of change in erythema scale measures, there was no significant difference in the improvement of objective erythema between the two sides. However, based on physician assessment, the overall clinical improvement on the niacin side was significantly higher (p=0.005) and patient satisfaction was also higher on the niacin-pretreated side (p=0.007). There were no remarkable side effects, with the exception of transient erythema and edema. Conclusions  Pretreatment with topical niacin safely enhanced the effect of 585-nm PDL treatment of rosacea-associated erythema in Koreans. Application of niacin can be helpful in overcoming the relatively lower effect of subpurpuragenic PDL in dark-skinned Asians.

PMID: 21143465 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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