STL Index for: inflammation

Etanercept is a tumor necrosis factor antagonist with anti-inflammatory effects. It is currently approved in the US for psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical trials have shown this agent to have an excellent safety profile and to be well tolerated by both adult and pediatric patients.

Tacrolimus ointment (Protopic®, Fujisawa) is an effective agent in a class of topical immunomodulators. It has been shown to be safe and effective in adults and children with Atopic Dermatitis in short- and long-term treatments.

Ciclopirox (Loprox®) is a broad-spectrum antifungal medication that also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Ciclopirox is indicated in the US for the treatment of tinea pedis, tinea corporis, pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, and cutaneous candidiasis.

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin disease, affecting between 1% and 3% of immunocompetent adults. While its cause is unknown, a number of predisposing factors have been reported, including the implications of Malassezia yeasts.

Disorders of hyperpigmentation are difficult to treat, particularly in dark-skinned individuals. The goal is to reduce the hyperpigmentation without causing undesirable hypopigmentation or irritation in the surrounding normally pigmented skin. The psychosocial impact caused by these disorders must be considered.

Oral isotretinoin, since its introduction more than 20 years ago, has been and still is the 'gold standard' in the treatment of acne and its variants. This is the only approach to acne with the possibility of a permanent “cure” or long term remission.

With so many new peel preparations on the market today, the dermatologist must ask himself basic questions concerning the products. The most important question is directed to the medical literature rather than the advertising or marketing campaign so common among marketdriven cosmetic products.

The exact mechanism of action of leukotriene receptor antagonists in Atopic Dermatitis is not known. In small clinical and case studies, montelukast was found to be a safe and effective alternative or steroid-sparing therapy in the management of patients with atopic dermatitis.

There are many herbal therapies available for dermatological diseases that patients have already begun to discover. Dermatologists must be educated not only in the benefits of these therapies, but must also be aware of some of the risks and adverse effects.

Etanercept (Enbrel®, Amgen and Wyeth), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist, was approved in January 2002, for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Etanercept was evaluated for the treatment of PsA and psoriasis in a preliminary study of 60 patients and in a confirmatory phase III study of 205 patients.

There is compelling evidence that oral contraceptives (OCs) are effective in the management of mild-moderate acne vulgaris, as well as cumulative evidence that elevated levels of androgens in acne patients, relative to appropriate controls, are an underlying pathophysiological factor in acne.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) may account for at least 20% of all childhood dermatitis. Clinically, its morphology is identical to other forms of dermatitis in acute, subacute and chronic forms. A persistent or unusual and localized pattern is often the key to diagnosis.

Psoriasis is a common dermatosis, affecting children in North America. Many papers have stressed the treatments available for adult psoriasis, but few have dealt with this disorder in children. Topical treatment modalities continue to be the first line therapy for childhood psoriasis.

Pimecrolimus is an immunomodulating medication that inhibits production of inflammatory cytokines in the skin and this compound was specifically developed for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.

Rosacea is relatively common, typically occurring in individuals of Northern European and Celtic origin between 30 and 50 years of age. It is more common in women, but may be more severe in men. Currently there is no cure available for rosacea, but it can be controlled with topical and oral drug therapy.

ROSASOL Cream is a novel topical formulation of 1% metronidazole in a vehicle containing sunscreens (SPF 15). This product has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of inflammatory lesions, erythema, and telangiectasiae associated with rosacea.

Imiquimod (S-26308, R-837) (1-(2-methylpropyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-4 amine), an immune response modifier, was approved as a 5% cream (Aldara, 3M Pharmaceuticals) by the US FDA in February 1997, for the treatment of genital and perianal warts.

If methotrexate were introduced as a new drug today, it would be hailed as a major advance in the management of psoriasis, as well as for a number of other conditions. When patients are properly screened and educated about the correct use of this drug, and appropriately monitored during treatment, MTX is often very safe, simple to use, inexpensive, and well-tolerated.

There are no specific antipruritic drugs on the market, but there are a high number of case reports and experimental investigations describing medications with antipruritic potency. It is therefore the aim of this article to review the major systemic antipruritic drugs and give a short overview on the different types of pruritus.

Herbs have been used in clinical medicine for thousands of years. However, it is only in recent times that we have been able to employ scientific methods to prove the efficacy of many of these herbs and to give us a better understanding of their mechanisms of action.

Topical acne treatment can positively benefit patients with acne. This review summarizes clinical and prescribing information on currently available topical agents. The efficacy of the medications included in this report is supported by properly designed randomized clinical trials.

Corticosteroids have dominated the class of anti-inflammatory agents for the past 50 years. In the last ten years, new corticosteroids have been developed for topical use. Characteristics common to these several chemically different corticosteroids are their class III, or high potency designation and their improved safety profile.