J Korean Med Sci.  2007 Oct;22(5):868-872. 10.3346/jkms.2007.22.5.868.

Treatment of Facial Seborrheic Dermatitis with Pimecrolimus Cream 1%: An Open-Label Clinical Study in Korean Patients

• Kim BS
• Kim SH
• Kim MB
• Oh CK
• Jang HS
• Kwon KS

• KMID: 1713295
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2007.22.5.868

Abstract

Pimecrolimus cream 1% has shown to be effective in patients with a variety of inflammatory cutaneous disorders. And it might be a useful modality in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis. This prospective study was aimed at assessing the efficacy and tolerability of pimecrolimus cream 1% in the treatment of facial seborrheic dermatitis. Twenty patients were instructed to apply pimecrolimus cream 1% for 4 consecutive weeks. Assessment of the disease severity was performed at baseline and at week 1, 2, and 4. Clinical assessments of erythema, scaling, and pruritus were measured using a 4-point scale (0-3). Global assessments of the disease severity by patients and investigators were performed at each visit. Mean clinical scores of erythema, scaling, and pruritus significantly improved by 87.4%, 91.9%, and 91.5% respectively at week 4 (p<0.001). Improvements in the global assessment of disease severity determined by patients and investigators also showed excellent results. No specific adverse events other than transient burning and tingling sensations were noted. The relapse of facial seborrheic dermatitis was mostly observed between 3 to 8 weeks after the discontinuation of pimecrolimus. We suggest that the topical application of pimecrolimus cream 1% can be an effective and safe alternative for treatment of facial seborrheic dermatitis.

Keyword

Dermatitis, Seborrheic; Pimecrolimus

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Dermatitis, Seborrheic/*drug therapy
Erythema/drug therapy
Face
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Korea
Male
Middle Aged
Severity of Illness Index
Tacrolimus/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Improvements of mean scores of erythema, scaling, and pruritus in patients with seborrheic dermatitis (p<0.001).

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  Fig. 2 Clinical features illustrating the significant improvement of seborrheic dermatitis at baseline (A), 1 week (B), and 4 weeks (C) after treatment with pimecrolimus cream 1%.

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  Fig. 3 Clinical features illustrating the significant improvement of seborrheic dermatitis at baseline (A) and 2 weeks (B) after treatment with pimecrolimus cream 1%.

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