The Comparison of Efficacy of oral Finastride and Topical Hydroquinone Versus Placebo and Topical Hydroquinone in Treatment of Melasma: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial
Sima Rassai and Ziba MehrjuiDepartment of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Corresponding Author E-mail: Drziba2013@yahoo.com
Abstract: Melasma is an acquired hyper melanosis disease and its treatment is not often satisfactory. Given the role of hormones in pathogenesis of melasma, sex hormone related drugs may be effective in the treatment of melasma. Hence, this study is carried out to compare the effects of finasteride tablets along with topical medication with topical medicine and placebo for the treatment of melasma in women visiting Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahwaz. This is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial conducted on 30 women suffering melasma in 2015. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. A group was treated with 5mg finasteride with topical hydroquinone 4%, and the other group was treated with placebo as well as topical hydroquinone 4%. Demographic and clinical characteristics as well as the melasma area and severity index (MASI) and satisfaction of patients were also evaluated. Finally, the collected data were analyzed by SPSS. The age range of the participating patients was 20 to 50 and most patients (80%) were between 30-40 years of age. No significant difference was observed in both groups regarding age, marital status, duration of melasma, melasma area, type of melasma, melasma history, pregnancy, and OCP use (P>0.05). Evaluation results of MASI index showed a decreasing trend during treatment (P<0.05) but no significant difference was observed between MASI index and satisfaction of patients in two treatment groups. As well, hirsutism, androgenic alopecia, and acne were respectively seen in 20%, 63.3% and 13.3% of patients. Results of this study showed that although the degree of satisfaction was higher in patients receiving finasteride and the difference between the first and second MASI was significantly higher in the group receiving finasteride, treatment outcomes at the end of the study were not statistically different and the difference in first and fourth MASI showed no significant difference in the two groups. This difference may become statistically significant with greater sample size and increased duration of treatment. Since this study is probably the first clinical experience in the use of finasteride for melasma treatment, definitive conclusions about its use or non-use is not possible before doing further studies in the future.
Keywords: melasma; finasteride; hydroquinone Back to TOC