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Improvement of skin lesions in corticosteroid withdrawal-associated severe eczema by multicomponent traditional Chinese medicine therapy

Authors :
Serife Uzun
Zixi Wang
Tory A. McKnight
Paul Ehrlich
Erin Thanik
Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn
Nan Yang
Xiu-Min Li
Source :
Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-4 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
BMC, 2021.

Abstract

Abstract Rationale We recently showed that multicomponent traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy had steroid-sparing effects in moderate-to-severe eczema. We sought to evaluate TCM effects in severe eczema in a 7-year-old male with refractory disease and corticosteroid withdrawal syndrome. Methods Prior to referral, the patient had been treated since infancy with increasingly intensive standard of care, including high-dose topical and systemic corticosteroid and antibiotic therapy and was unable to tolerate further steroid treatment. The patient was administered a combination of oral and topical TCM for 17 months following discontinuation of his steroid regimen. His overall medical condition was assessed by SCORAD criteria and laboratory evaluations of serum IgE, absolute eosinophil count, and liver and kidney function tests. Results The patient showed rapid improvement of clinical measures of disease after starting TCM therapy, with marked improvement of sleep quality within the first week, complete resolution of itching, oozing, and erythema at 2 weeks, and a 79% and 99% decrease in his SCORAD values after one month and 3–6 months of TCM, respectively. Serum total IgE decreased by 75% (from 19,000 to 4630 (kIU/L), and absolute eosinophil counts decreased by 60% (from 1000 to 427 cells/μL) after 12 months of treatment. The patient did not require oral or topical steroids during the 17-month trial of TCM. TCM was tapered without complications. His dermatologic manifestations continued to be well-controlled 3 months after discontinuation. Conclusion This case study suggests TCM should be further evaluated in controlled clinical studies of patients with severe, refractory eczema and steroid withdrawal syndrome.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
17101492
Volume :
17
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.79d159230c624ef287f938ff16eea8c4
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-021-00555-0