Treatment of notalgia paresthetica with low dose pregabalin: Retrospective evaluation of 13 patients

Background: Notalgia paresthetica (NP) is a sensory neuropathic syndrome characterized by chronic itching of the unilateral mid-back. Topical and systemic symptomatic treatments have been used to date. In recent years, neuropathic pain medicine has been used to relieve the symptoms of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of pregabalin in notalgia paresthetica. Materials and Methods: In this study, the files of the patients with a diagnosis of NP and treated with pregabalin for at least one month in the period between 2016 and 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Thirteen cases of NP treated with low-dose (up to 150 mg/day) pregabalin were evaluated, and 9 (70%) patients exhibited a good response in this retrospective study. All patients were female and the mean age was 53.5 (31–71) ± 10.3 years. The mean disease duration was 6.1 (1–10) ± 4.1 years. Conclusion: Treatment with low-dose pregabalin may be a good option for the symptomatic treatment of NP.

Therapeutic Use of Botulinum Neurotoxins in Dermatology: Systematic Review

Botulinum toxin is a superfamily of neurotoxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum with well-established efficacy and safety profile in focal idiopathic hyperhidrosis. Recently, botulinum toxins have also been used in many other skin diseases, in off label regimen. The objective of this manuscript is to review and analyze the main therapeutic applications of botulinum toxins in skin diseases. A systematic review of the published data was conducted, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Botulinum toxins present several label and off-label indications of interest for dermatologists. The best-reported evidence concerns focal idiopathic hyperhidrosis, Raynaud phenomenon, suppurative hidradenitis, Hailey–Hailey disease, epidermolysis bullosa simplex Weber–Cockayne type, Darier’s disease, pachyonychia congenita, aquagenic keratoderma, alopecia, psoriasis, notalgia paresthetica, facial erythema and flushing, and oily skin. Further clinical trials are still needed to better understand the real efficacy and safety of these applications and to standardize injection and doses protocols for off label applications.