Effect of topical hydrogen peroxide in treatment of seborrheic keratosis

Abstract

Background Seborrheic keratoses (SKs) are very common benign epithelial skin tumors. So, there is a significant need for a safe, effective, noninvasive, and cosmetically acceptable treatment for this common condition. Aim To evaluate the effect of different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (HP)-based topical solution (10 and 30%) for the treatment of SK lesions. Patients and methods Fifty patients aged 40–77 years, with SK lesions, were enrolled in this study and were divided randomly and equally into two groups: group 1 included 25 patients who underwent four sessions of topical HP 10% solution at 3-week interval and group 2 included 25 patients who underwent four sessions of topical HP 30% solution at 3-week interval. The lesions were evaluated clinically by study-assessment scale, dermoscopic findings before and after treatment, and patient’s self-assessment. Results At the end of the study, there was a statistically insignificant difference in the clinical grade of SK lesions before and after treatment in both groups: group 1 (P=1.000) and group 2 (P=0.598). Also, there was a statistically insignificant difference between dermoscopic pictures before and after treatment. There was a statistically insignificant difference between the improvements in both groups denoting that both concentrations gave similar net results. Conclusion Topical 10 and 30% of HP solutions are not effective in the treatment of SKs with no significant side effects.