Evaluation the efficacy of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) 33% in treatment of oral retinoid-induced cheilitis compared with placebo (Vaseline): a randomized pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Oral Isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) is a gold standardtreatment for severe forms of acne with cheilitis as a most frequent complication. We designed this novel study to investigate the therapeutic effect of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) 33% as compared with placebo to treat cheilitis.

METHODS: In this pilot study, 90 acne vulgaris patients between 18 and 50 years, who referred dermatologic clinic with cheilitis, were assigned to either case (TCA) or control (Vaseline) group using permuted-block randomization from 2013 to 2015 with data analysis in 2016. Patients had follow-up visits after 2 and 6 weeks, at which their lesions were photographed. Two blinded expert dermatologists recorded physician International global score for each image.

RESULTS: Ninety eligible patients were randomly allocated into two groups. This included 45 patients in each group. At the end of follow-up, 44 patients in the intervention group and 37 patients in control group completed the final assessment. Compared to the control group, the TCA group had a greater reduction in the mean ICGS value from baseline to Week 6 (mean difference 2.59 points, p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS: TCA can be considered as a good strategy in improvement of cheilitis to isotretinoin therapy.