Marine Isopod Ceratothoa Oestroides Extract: a Novel Treatment for Diabetic Foot Ulcers? Case Report of an Immunosuppressed Patient

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common lower-extremity complication in patients with diabetes mellitus. A novel DFU treatment is tested by using an ointment containing as healing agent olive oil isopod Ceratothoa oestroidesextract. CASE REPORT: A 58 years old obese man,smoker, with a history of unregulated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, peripheral neuropathy and Hodgkin lymphoma was referred to Athens–Greece university hospital Laikon. The patient presented clinically with a lower extremity DFU and peripheral neuropathy with dysesthesia and disturbed sensation of hot and cold. He was treated with an ointment containing C. oestroides extract for five months, without any antimicrobial treatment. Therapy was evaluated by measurement of the transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, photo documentation and planimetry. At each patient’s visit, DFU presented a satisfactory healing process. Five months after treatment initiation the patient had complete healing of his DFU. Blood tests after treatment revealed a significant reduction of the levels of the inflammatory markers. Ulcer cultures did not reveal any microbial development neither before nor after treatment. CONCLUSION: The administration of the C. oestroides extract ointment proved to be effective in this case. Although these results should be further investigated, the reported case suggests a novel option for the management of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers, especially in patients with severe co-morbidities.