Sanjay Singh1, Narendra K Tiwary2. 1. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. 2. Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:Acyclovir is considered to be an effective treatment for pityriasis rosea but randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trials have not been performed. AIMS: To test the efficacy of acyclovir in pityriasis rosea in a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial. METHODS:Twenty seven patients with pityriasis rosea were randomly allocated to receive placebo (n = 13) or acyclovir (800 mg five times daily for one week) (n = 14). The severity of disease was assessed by the pityriasis rosea area and severity index. Cure was defined as the absence of erythema, with no or minimal scaling. RESULTS: The number of days (mean ± standard deviation) taken for cure was not significantly different between the two groups (placebo 26.54 ± 9.14 days versus acyclovir 33.29 ± 9.49 days; P = 0.0720, t-test; 95% confidence interval of difference -0.65 to 14.14 days). LIMITATIONS: The sample size for the present study was calculated using data from an earlier study. As the standard deviation was not mentioned in that article, a common standard deviation of fifteen days was assumed. A study with a larger sample size may be more effective in detecting minor treatment differences between acyclovir and placebo, if they exist at all. CONCLUSION:Acyclovir is not an effective treatment for pityriasis rosea.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Acyclovir is considered to be an effective treatment for pityriasis rosea but randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trials have not been performed. AIMS: To test the efficacy of acyclovir in pityriasis rosea in a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: Twenty seven patients with pityriasis rosea were randomly allocated to receive placebo (n = 13) or acyclovir (800 mg five times daily for one week) (n = 14). The severity of disease was assessed by the pityriasis rosea area and severity index. Cure was defined as the absence of erythema, with no or minimal scaling. RESULTS: The number of days (mean ± standard deviation) taken for cure was not significantly different between the two groups (placebo 26.54 ± 9.14 days versus acyclovir 33.29 ± 9.49 days; P = 0.0720, t-test; 95% confidence interval of difference -0.65 to 14.14 days). LIMITATIONS: The sample size for the present study was calculated using data from an earlier study. As the standard deviation was not mentioned in that article, a common standard deviation of fifteen days was assumed. A study with a larger sample size may be more effective in detecting minor treatment differences between acyclovir and placebo, if they exist at all. CONCLUSION:Acyclovir is not an effective treatment for pityriasis rosea.
Authors: Jose Contreras-Ruiz; Sandra Peternel; Carlos Jiménez Gutiérrez; Ivana Culav-Koscak; Ludovic Reveiz; Maria de Lourdes Silbermann-Reynoso Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2019-10-30