National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences, Medical Applications of Laser Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Private sector, Dermatology & Andrology, Cairo, Egypt.
J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Nov;20(11):3517-3525. doi: 10.1111/jocd.14027. Epub 2021 Mar 9.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a chronic inflammatory disorder occurring mostly in regions of thick hair growth after shaving. PFB is characterized clinically by multiple painful, pruritic erythematous papules and, less commonly, pustules, nodules, or abscesses.
To evaluate the efficacy of topical eflornithine cream only, long-pulsed Nd-YAG laser, versus their combination for PFB management.
Overall, 40 male patients with PFB were allocated into 3 treatment groups; Group 1 (n = 12): Treated by topical eflornithine cream twice daily for 16 weeks, Group II (n = 13): Treated by long-pulsed Nd-YAG laser for 4 sessions 4-week interval, Group III (n = 15): Treated by this combination for 16 weeks. The patients were evaluated after 16 weeks and for a further 12 weeks through serial photographs, Folliscopic evaluation, and a quartile grading system for improvement.
After 16 weeks of treatments, the mean improvement percentages of the inflammatory papules, as well as hair density in the long-pulsed Nd-YAG laser +eflornithine cream, treated group were significantly higher compared with either eflornithine cream treated group or laser-only treated group. The same relationship was demonstrated after 12 weeks of follow-up but with lower improvements compared with 16 weeks of treatment outcome.
Topical eflornithine cream exerts an additive effect on long-pulsed Nd-YAG laser in enhancing the rate and degree of hair reduction and inflammatory papules in PFB cases with a further follow-up improvement. This combined approach should be long-established in larger sample sizes and long-term studies.
假性毳毛性毛囊炎（PFB）是一种慢性炎症性疾病，主要发生在剃须后的毛发密集区域。PFB 临床上表现为多发性疼痛、瘙痒性红斑丘疹，较少见的还有脓疱、结节或脓肿。
评估仅使用外用依氟鸟氨酸乳膏、长脉冲 Nd-YAG 激光以及两者联合治疗 PFB 的疗效。
共有 40 名 PFB 男性患者被分配到 3 个治疗组；组 1（n=12）：每日两次外用依氟鸟氨酸乳膏治疗 16 周，组 2（n=13）：4 周间隔行长脉冲 Nd-YAG 激光治疗 4 次，组 3（n=15）：联合治疗 16 周。患者在 16 周后以及 12 周的随访中通过连续照片、Folliscopic 评估和四级评分系统进行改善评估。
治疗 16 周后，长脉冲 Nd-YAG 激光+依氟鸟氨酸乳膏治疗组的炎症性丘疹和毛发密度的平均改善百分比明显高于单独使用依氟鸟氨酸乳膏治疗组或激光单独治疗组。在 12 周的随访后也表现出同样的关系，但改善程度低于 16 周的治疗结果。
外用依氟鸟氨酸乳膏对长脉冲 Nd-YAG 激光有增效作用，可提高 PFB 病例的毛发减少率和炎症性丘疹的程度，且在进一步随访中有进一步改善。这种联合方法应在更大的样本量和长期研究中确立。
