After average of 3.25 months, treated parts regressed significantly more than untreated parts
THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new modified timolol-based cream seems effective for infantile hemangiomas (IHs), according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Dermatology.
Yajing Qiu, M.D., from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and colleagues generated a new modified timolol agent as the base of a cream. The authors assessed the efficacy and safety of the new agent in 20 patients (average age, 4 months) with large superficial IHs (average area, 28.8 cm²). Treatment was continued for two to six months. The changes in untreated and treated parts were assessed by three investigators who compared photographs.
After an average of 3.25 months of treatment, the researchers found that the average visual analog scale scores were 5.5 for those with and 4.3 for those without the medication. Compared with the untreated parts, significantly more regression was seen in the treated parts (P < 0.05). No side effects were seen during treatment. No timolol was identified in any of the blood samples (P < 0.02 µg/mL).
“Our new modified timolol agent is proven to be an effective therapy option for IH,” the authors write. “Prospective studies with high-precision serum timolol concentrations, with heart rate or blood pressure monitoring during treatment, are needed to evaluate potential systemic absorption when using timolol on large IH.”
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