Evaluation of dermatologic therapy. I. Sulfur and petrolatum.

Abstract

I. Introduction and Purpose The application of therapeutic compounds to the skin is the fundamental method of treatment in dermatology. Study of the effects of these compounds and the way they are produced has resulted in a voluminous dermatologic literature. By comparison, the literature dealing with the histologic reaction to therapeutic compounds topically applied is relatively scarce and incomplete. Although practical problems often prevent the use of normal human skin for such study, animal skin is essentially devoid of any glabrous areas of value. A new source of glabrous skin suitable for experimentation obviously was needed. A recently established colony of hairless mice presented a source of glabrous skin for research on topically applied compounds. In view of the need for basic histologic information and the presence of a totally new source of glabrous skin, a series of experiments was designed (1) to attempt for the first time to establish