Topical halometasone cream combined with fire needle pre-treatment for treatment of primary cutaneous amyloidosis: Two case reports

BACKGROUND: Primary cutaneous amyloidosis (PCA) is a chronic metabolic skin disease that has a detrimental impact on physical and mental health. It appears as mossy papules and severe itching, which is long-term and recurrent. Traditional treatments are unsatisfactory, especially for refractory cases. Fire needle therapy, which is widely used in China, has shown good clinical efficacy, as well as advantages concerning safety and cost. Clinical reports about fire needle treatment of this disease are few at present. CASE SUMMARY: We report two older men who had developed maculopapules with itchiness on the trunk and arms for more than 10-15 years. Due to the dermatopathological findings, PCA was our primary consideration. They received topical halometasone cream and pretreatment with fire needle for 8-16 wk. Both patients showed significant improvement of lesions. Neither patient had recurrence with a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Topical halometasone cream and pretreatment with fire needle could be a fast, safe, and economic treatment for PCA.