A Randomized Controlled Trial of Intralesional Glucocorticoid for Treating Pretibial Myxedema

BACKGROUND: Pretibial myxedema (PTM) is an uncommon dermopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid diseases. Now it is thought to be autoimmune and its treatment with glucocorticoid is helpful. However, it has not been evaluated. METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed in 110 patients with PTM to evaluate the efficacy and safety of triamcinolone acetonide with intralesional injection once every 3 days and once every 7 days. Randomization was performed with drawing lots and it was also stratified according to variants of PTM lesions. In the follow-up, recurrent rates were observed. The SPSS Statistics 17.0 Software was used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The complete response rates were 78.2%, 83.6%, and 87.3% in regimen 1 and 50.9%, 89.1%, and 90.9% in regimen 2 at 3 weeks, 7 weeks and the end of therapy, respectively. Regimen 1 had an earlier efficacy than regimen 2, but at 7 weeks and end of therapy, there were no differences between two regimens. The majority of non-severe variants got complete response but severe variants did not. The adverse reaction rates in regimen 1 were higher and earlier than those in regimen 2. Adverse reaction occurring time in regimen 1 was shorter than that in regimen 2. Recurrent rates were 31.25% and 32% in regimens 1 and 2 at 3.5-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: For its autoimmune, hyperplasia and disabled features, early treatment of PTM with glucocorticoid is necessary to get complete response. Dosage and frequency of intralesional steroid injection and lesional variants influence the efficacy of PTM. Once every 7 days is a better regimen.