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A comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of topical agents used in facial Demodex treatment
Author(s) -
Sarac Gulbahar
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of cosmetic dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.626
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1473-2165
pISSN - 1473-2130
DOI - 10.1111/jocd.12986
Subject(s) - demodex , tolerability , dermatology , erythema , demodicosis , medicine , permethrin , rosacea , acne , adverse effect , mite , biology , botany , pesticide , agronomy
Background Demodex spp. is the most common ectoparasite in humans. This parasite is believed to play a role in the etiology of many dermatological and ocular disorders. Aim The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of the sulfur‐sodium sulfacetamide combination, crotamiton, and permethrin, which are three topical agents commonly used in Demodex treatment. Methods A total of 28 patients with primary demodicosis and 44 patients with Rosacea + Demodex were included in the study. The pretreatment and post‐treatment Demodex spp. counts, patient satisfaction, and erythema decrease rates were compared. Results Analysis of the efficacy of these topical agents on Demodex revealed that all three significantly decreased the number of parasites. The patient satisfaction was higher in the sodium acetamide group than the 10% crotamiton and 5% permethrin groups, and clinical evaluation (erythema/ papulopustules and white plugs) was better in the sodium acetamide group than the other groups but no statistically significant difference was found in terms of patient satisfaction and clinical evaluation. Conclusion The sulfur‐sodium combination, crotamiton, and permethrin are the three agents commonly used in the treatment of Demodex spp. and all significantly decreased the Demodex count. The three agents were similar in terms of tolerability. Our study needs to be supported with others on larger patient series.