Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
15th National Conference of the IAOMFP, Chennai, 2006
Abstract
Abstracts from current literature
Acne in India: Guidelines for management - IAA Consensus Document
Addendum
Announcement
Art & Psychiatry
Article
Articles
Association Activities
Association Notes
Award Article
Book Review
Brief Report
Case Analysis
Case Letter
Case Letters
Case Notes
Case Report
Case Reports
Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
Clinical Article
Clinical Studies
Clinical Study
Commentary
Conference Oration
Conference Summary
Continuing Medical Education
Correspondence
Corrigendum
Cosmetic Dermatology
Cosmetology
Current Best Evidence
Current Issue
Current View
Derma Quest
Dermato Surgery
Dermatopathology
Dermatosurgery Specials
Dispensing Pearl
Do you know?
Drug Dialogues
e-IJDVL
Editor Speaks
Editorial
Editorial Remarks
Editorial Report
Editorial Report - 2007
Editorial report for 2004-2005
Errata
Erratum
Focus
Fourth All India Conference Programme
From Our Book Shelf
From the Desk of Chief Editor
General
Get Set for Net
Get set for the net
Guest Article
Guest Editorial
History
How I Manage?
IADVL Announcement
IADVL Announcements
IJDVL Awards
IJDVL AWARDS 2015
IJDVL Awards 2018
IJDVL Awards 2019
IJDVL Awards 2020
IJDVL International Awards 2018
Images in Clinical Practice
Images in Dermatology
In Memorium
Inaugural Address
Index
Knowledge From World Contemporaries
Leprosy Section
Letter in Response to Previous Publication
Letter to Editor
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor - Case Letter
Letter to the Editor - Letter in Response to Published Article
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Letter to the Editor - Observation Letter
Letter to the Editor - Study Letter
Letter to the Editor - Therapy Letter
Letter to the Editor: Articles in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters in Response to Previous Publication
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor - Letter in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters to the Editor: Case Letters
Letters to the Editor: Letters in Response to Previously Published Articles
Media and news
Medicolegal Window
Messages
Miscellaneous Letter
Musings
Net Case
Net case report
Net Image
Net Images
Net Letter
Net Quiz
Net Study
New Preparations
News
News & Views
Obituary
Observation Letter
Observation Letters
Oration
Original Article
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Original Contributions
Pattern of Skin Diseases
Pearls
Pediatric Dermatology
Pediatric Rounds
Perspective
Presedential Address
Presidential Address
Presidents Remarks
Quiz
Recommendations
Regret
Report
Report of chief editor
Report of Hon : Treasurer IADVL
Report of Hon. General Secretary IADVL
Research Methdology
Research Methodology
Resident page
Resident's Page
Resident’s Page
Residents' Corner
Residents' Corner
Residents' Page
Retraction
Review
Review Article
Review Articles
Reviewers 2022
Revision Corner
Self Assessment Programme
SEMINAR
Seminar: Chronic Arsenicosis in India
Seminar: HIV Infection
Short Communication
Short Communications
Short Report
Snippets
Special Article
Specialty Interface
Studies
Study Letter
Study Letters
Supplement-Photoprotection
Supplement-Psoriasis
Symposium - Contact Dermatitis
Symposium - Lasers
Symposium - Pediatric Dermatoses
Symposium - Psoriasis
Symposium - Vesicobullous Disorders
SYMPOSIUM - VITILIGO
Symposium Aesthetic Surgery
Symposium Dermatopathology
Symposium-Hair Disorders
Symposium-Nails Part I
Symposium-Nails-Part II
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis
Tables
Technology
Therapeutic Guideline-IADVL
Therapeutic Guidelines
Therapeutic Guidelines - IADVL
Therapeutics
Therapy
Therapy Letter
Therapy Letters
View Point
Viewpoint
What’s new in Dermatology
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
15th National Conference of the IAOMFP, Chennai, 2006
Abstract
Abstracts from current literature
Acne in India: Guidelines for management - IAA Consensus Document
Addendum
Announcement
Art & Psychiatry
Article
Articles
Association Activities
Association Notes
Award Article
Book Review
Brief Report
Case Analysis
Case Letter
Case Letters
Case Notes
Case Report
Case Reports
Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
Clinical Article
Clinical Studies
Clinical Study
Commentary
Conference Oration
Conference Summary
Continuing Medical Education
Correspondence
Corrigendum
Cosmetic Dermatology
Cosmetology
Current Best Evidence
Current Issue
Current View
Derma Quest
Dermato Surgery
Dermatopathology
Dermatosurgery Specials
Dispensing Pearl
Do you know?
Drug Dialogues
e-IJDVL
Editor Speaks
Editorial
Editorial Remarks
Editorial Report
Editorial Report - 2007
Editorial report for 2004-2005
Errata
Erratum
Focus
Fourth All India Conference Programme
From Our Book Shelf
From the Desk of Chief Editor
General
Get Set for Net
Get set for the net
Guest Article
Guest Editorial
History
How I Manage?
IADVL Announcement
IADVL Announcements
IJDVL Awards
IJDVL AWARDS 2015
IJDVL Awards 2018
IJDVL Awards 2019
IJDVL Awards 2020
IJDVL International Awards 2018
Images in Clinical Practice
Images in Dermatology
In Memorium
Inaugural Address
Index
Knowledge From World Contemporaries
Leprosy Section
Letter in Response to Previous Publication
Letter to Editor
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor - Case Letter
Letter to the Editor - Letter in Response to Published Article
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Letter to the Editor - Observation Letter
Letter to the Editor - Study Letter
Letter to the Editor - Therapy Letter
Letter to the Editor: Articles in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters in Response to Previous Publication
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor - Letter in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters to the Editor: Case Letters
Letters to the Editor: Letters in Response to Previously Published Articles
Media and news
Medicolegal Window
Messages
Miscellaneous Letter
Musings
Net Case
Net case report
Net Image
Net Images
Net Letter
Net Quiz
Net Study
New Preparations
News
News & Views
Obituary
Observation Letter
Observation Letters
Oration
Original Article
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Original Contributions
Pattern of Skin Diseases
Pearls
Pediatric Dermatology
Pediatric Rounds
Perspective
Presedential Address
Presidential Address
Presidents Remarks
Quiz
Recommendations
Regret
Report
Report of chief editor
Report of Hon : Treasurer IADVL
Report of Hon. General Secretary IADVL
Research Methdology
Research Methodology
Resident page
Resident's Page
Resident’s Page
Residents' Corner
Residents' Corner
Residents' Page
Retraction
Review
Review Article
Review Articles
Reviewers 2022
Revision Corner
Self Assessment Programme
SEMINAR
Seminar: Chronic Arsenicosis in India
Seminar: HIV Infection
Short Communication
Short Communications
Short Report
Snippets
Special Article
Specialty Interface
Studies
Study Letter
Study Letters
Supplement-Photoprotection
Supplement-Psoriasis
Symposium - Contact Dermatitis
Symposium - Lasers
Symposium - Pediatric Dermatoses
Symposium - Psoriasis
Symposium - Vesicobullous Disorders
SYMPOSIUM - VITILIGO
Symposium Aesthetic Surgery
Symposium Dermatopathology
Symposium-Hair Disorders
Symposium-Nails Part I
Symposium-Nails-Part II
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis
Tables
Technology
Therapeutic Guideline-IADVL
Therapeutic Guidelines
Therapeutic Guidelines - IADVL
Therapeutics
Therapy
Therapy Letter
Therapy Letters
View Point
Viewpoint
What’s new in Dermatology

Translate this page into:

Studies
1997:63:1;9-10
PMID: 20944248

Pentoxifylline and ciprofloxacin in chronic folliculitis of legs

D Prasad1 , R Saini1 , KS Negi2
1 Department of Dermatology, Himalaya Institute Hospital, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, India
2 Department of SPM (Biostatistics), Himalaya Institute Hospital, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, India

Correspondence Address:
D Prasad
Department of Dermatology, Himalaya Institute Hospital, Jolly Grant, Dehradun
India
How to cite this article:
Prasad D, Saini R, Negi K S. Pentoxifylline and ciprofloxacin in chronic folliculitis of legs. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 1997;63:9-10
Copyright: (C)1997 Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology

Abstract

Clinically diagnosed 38 patients of chronic superficial folliculitis were divided into 2 equal grops. Group I was given combination of ciprofloxacin and placebo for two weeks followed by placebo for another 4 weeks whereas patients in group II were given combination of ciprofloxacin and pentoxifylline for two weeks followed by pentoxifylline for 4 weeks. The combination of pentoxifylline with ciprofloxacin was found to be superior in initial response as well as prevention of reccurrence.
Keywords: Ciprofloxacin, Pentoxifyliine, Folliculitis

Introduction

Chronic folliculitis of legs has been described mainly in young adult males in India, consisting of profuse eruption of superficial and deep follicular pustules on the thigh and lower legs. These lesions persist for many years and become resistant to treatment. Apart from using conventional antibiotics, PUVAsol, PUVAsol with cotrimoxazole and ciprofloxacin have been tried with varying sucess rates.[1],[2] However, a successful form of thearpy for this frustrating disease is yet to evolve. The xanthine derivative pentoxifylline is a widely used vasoctive drug with clinical efficacy in various microcirculatory disorders and recently its potential use as anti-inflammatory and as immune-modulator drug has gained increasing interest. In the present study, we compared the efficacy of ciprofloxacin and combination of ciprofloxacin and pentoxifylline in this disease.

Materials and Methods

A total 38 clinically diagnosed cases of superficial chronic folliculitis were enrolled in this study. Depending upon the type, number and sites affected, lesions were graded into 4 categories. They had received no topical or systemic treatment for at least 4 weeks before entering the study. The patients were randomly allocated to treatment groups equally. The group I (19 patients) were given ciprofloxacin twice daily for 2 weeks along with placebo thrice daily for 4 weeks. The group II consisting of 19 patients were given pentoxifylline 400mg thrice daily along with ciprofloxacin twice daily for 2 weeks followed by pentoxifylline 400mg thrice daily for another 4 weeks. Clinical improvement was recorded at the end of 2nd week by grading the lesions. Then, the patients were followed at monthly interval for 6 months.

Results

Of the 38 patients enrolled in the study, 18 in group I and 17 in group II were able to be evaluated, whose age ranged from 18 to 39 years (mean age 22.5 years). Both drugs were well tolerated except 1 patient complained of GIT intolerence in form of dyspesia and nausea with pentoxifylline and was withdrawn from study.

In group I, out of 18 patients 12 (66.7%) showed an excellent response i.e. resolution of all the lesions while 3 patients (16.7%) showed good response whereas 3 patients (16.7%) failed to show any clinical improvement. In group II, 15 patients (88.3%) showed excellent improvement, 1 patient (5.9%) showed good response and 1 (5.9%) showed no response.

Relapse of the lesions was seen in 15 out of 18 patients (83.3%) in group I with average remission period of 42.5 days whereas only 3 patients (17.7%) in group II showed relapse after an avergae remission period of 103 days.

Discussion

Pentoxifylline is a methylxanthine derivative with diverese pharmacological properties. Many studies have shown that pentoxifylline decreases neutrophil adherence and aggregation, whereas it incerease polymorphonuclear cell motility and chemotaxis.[3] The mechanism of action is probably multifactorial. Wahba[4] reported prevention of recurrences of intractable chronic furunculosis with pentoxifylline. Apart from its broad spectrum antibacterial activity, recent investigations with fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin suggest a possible synergism with pentoxifylline in the inhibtion of TNF-α. This formed the basis for the present study. Although the combination of ciprofloxacin and pentoxifylline was more effective than the combination of ciprofloxacin and placebo in the intial response, but much more significant was the prevention of reccurence in patient treated with pentoxifylline. The reccurence rate in group II was 17.7% as compared to 83.3% in group I. Further clinical trials should be undertaken to evaluate the optimum duration of pentoxifylline therapy in prevention of reccurence of this frustrating condition[5].

References
1.
Srinivas CR, Shenoy K. Control of chronic folliculitis of legs with PUVAsol and cotrimoxazole. Ind J Dermatol Venerol Leprol 1987;53:43-5.
[Google Scholar]
2.
Balachandran C, Malpani S, Srinivas CR. Ciprofloxacin therapy in chronic folliculitis of legs. Ind J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 1995;61:221-3.
[Google Scholar]
3.
Salyer JL, Bohnsack JF, Knape WA, et al. Mechanism of tumor necrosis factor alteration of PMN adhesion and migration. Am J Pathol 1990;136:831-41.
[Google Scholar]
4.
Wahba-Yahab AV. Intractable chronic frunculosis:prevention of reccurence with pentoxifylline. Acta Derm Venereol (Stockh) 1992;72:461-2.
[Google Scholar]
5.
Baily S, Fay M Roche Y. Effect of quinolone on TNF production by human monocytes. Int J Immunpharmacol 1990;12:31-6.
[Google Scholar]
Show Sections