Comparative study of three different modalities of topical anesthesia in various dermatological procedures

Background: Infiltrative anesthetics are frequently chosen because of their proven safety record, low cost, ease of storage, widespread availability, and rapid onset of action; a good topical anesthetic agent can eliminate the use of painful injections prior to procedures. Aims: The present study was carried out to compare the eutectic mixture of local anesthetic (EMLA), cryogel, lignocaine spray, and controls for pain caused during common dermatological procedures. Methods: This study included 120 patients who were divided into four groups with 30 patients each for needle extraction for molluscum contagiosum and milia; intralesional injection for keloids and alopecia areata; radiofrequency ablation for warts, acrochordons, and intradermal nevus; and dermabrasion for surgical treatment of vitiligo. Topical anesthetics such as EMLA, cryogel, and lignocaine spray were applied and pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS) score. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. P