A single blind, randomized clinical trial comparing MMP®, MMP® with 5-FU, and 5-FU intradermal injection for the treatment of idiopathic 156 guttate hypomelanosis: a pilot study

Abstract

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH) is a common photoaging manifestation, with no standard treatment and presenting mixed results to interventions. In Brazil, the use of micro-needling associated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been proposed to treat IGH. Objective: To compare the use of MMP® (micro-infusion of drugs on the skin) with 5-FU, with MMP® only as micro-needling (with no drugs), and intralesional 5-FU injected with an insulin syringe in the treatment of IGH. Methods: In a single blind randomized clinical trial, we compared the three treatments: MMP® versus MMP with 5-FU and intralesional 5-FU injection for 180 IGH lesions in the forearm of nine patients. Results: After two treatment sessions, 5-FU alone was the most effective treatment, with statistical significance, compared with micro-needling alone. MMP+5-FU efficacy was lower than intralesional 5-FU injection and higher than micro-needling alone, although without statistical significance. Conclusions: The intralesional application of 5-FU was more effective in the treatment of solar leukoderma. The use of a smaller quantity of medication is the great advantage of the MMP + 5-FU technique. Further studies are needed to standardize these techniques