The use of topical metronidazole in the management of seborrheic dermatitis – a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

• Authors: E. Lyn Lee , Suresh Shanmugham , Suresh Kumar , Frederick Charles Smales , Siew Mooi Ching , Sajesh K. Veettil

Abstracts

EN

Introduction and aim. Topical metronidazole, with its well-known anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, could be beneficial for managing seborrheic dermatitis (SD), but studies report conflicting results. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical metronidazole in the treatment of SD. Material and methods. A systematic search of Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL was conducted from inception to April 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing metronidazole to any comparator for SD were included in this study. Data were pooled using random-effects models. Analysis of the literature. Seven RCTs were included. Overall, topical metronidazole did not significantly reduce SD symptom severity when compared to any comparator/treatment. However, it significantly reduced symptom severity compared to placebo after 4 to 8 weeks (standardized mean difference (SMD) -3.00, 95% CI, -5.21 to -0.78). Specifically for facial SD, metronidazole showed significant symptom reduction (SMD -0.85, 95% CI, -1.41 to -0.29). No significant differences were found in the proportion of patients with clinical improvement or side effect frequency. Most studies had a high risk of bias and lacked information on missing data and assessor masking. Conclusion. Topical metronidazole demonstrates potential for managing SD, but current trials lack quality. Larger, high-quality trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and compare it with other treatments for SD.

Keywords

EN

dermatitis; meta-analysis; metronidazole; seborrheic

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Rzeszowski. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego
• Journal: European Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
• Year: 2024
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 954-960

Dates

published

2024

Contributors

author

E. Lyn Lee

• School of Pharmacy, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• https://orcid.org/0000000333952414

author

Suresh Shanmugham

• School of Pharmacy, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• https://orcid.org/0000000233867941

author

Suresh Kumar

• School of Pharmacy, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• https://orcid.org/0000000228061986

author

Frederick Charles Smales

• School of Dentistry, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• https://orcid.org/0009000922992964

author

Siew Mooi Ching

• Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
• Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
• Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia

• https://orcid.org/0000000244257989

author

Sajesh K. Veettil

• School of Pharmacy, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• School of Medicine, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

• https://orcid.org/0000000270097907

Identifiers

DOI

10.15584/ejcem.2024.4.25

Biblioteka Nauki

62645175