A Review of the Efficacy of Topical Statins for Treating Disseminated Superficial Actinic Porokeratosis.

Porokeratosis is a rare group of acquired or hereditary dermatoses characterized by linear or annular plaques with a keratotic border. DSAP is the most common porokeratosis, and lesions range from asymptomatic to pruritic circular pink to brown macules, papules, or plaques surrounded by a raised border. DSAP carries about 7.5-10% risk of malignant transformation to SCC or BCC. While in the past DSAP has been widely treated with topical diclofenac, ingenol mebutate, topical vitamin D analog, 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, photodynamic therapy, retinoids, cryotherapy, and laser therapy, these therapies have shown limited efficacy and have caused adverse effects including inflammatory reactions, hyperpigmentation, pain, and erythema. Recently, a formulation of topical statin and cholesterol has surfaced as a new and promising treatment for DSAP which has shown clinical improvement with a tolerable adverse effect profile when compared to the current therapies. Of the 8 case studies with a total of 20 patients with DSAP, 90% (18/20) reported clinical improvement with various forms of topical statin therapy. While promising, larger randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the long-term use of topical statins for DSAP. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(10):     doi:10.36849/JDD.7540.