Dermatoporosis, Skin Tear, Solar Purpura
Conditions
Keywords
skin tear, thin skin
Brief summary
The purpose of this research is to determine whether once nightly application of tretinoin 0.1% cream to forearm skin reduces the frequency of skin tears and bruising (solar purpura), and changes skin thickness over a period of 6 months.
Detailed description
Easy bruising and tearing of forearm skin is common with aging and can cause activity restriction, infection, and pain. Chronic exposure to UV light from the sun causes skin thinning and loss of supportive collagen over time. Thin skin tears easily and blood vessels normally protected by collagen rupture, causing bruises. Tretinoin is a prescription vitamin A cream that has been shown to increase skin thickness and collagen. Tretinoin is FDA approved for treatment of acne. We are trying to figure out if putting tretinoin cream on the forearms of adults with thin skin prevents skin tears and bruising. We are looking for 30 people with a history of skin tears in the United States. The VA Palo Alto expects to enroll 30 research study subjects.
Interventions
DRUGTretinoin 0.1% cream
Tretinoin 0.1% cream formulation.
DRUGBland cream (non-drug)
Bland cream formulation.
Sponsors
James Thomas Pathoulas
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Patients will either apply the test cream (tretinoin 0.1% cream) to the right or left arm and a bland cream (placebo) to the other - they will be randomized to right or left arm based on handedness (dominant vs non-dominant).
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
55 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Adult (55+) * History of skin tears, at least 2 in the past month * History of skin bruising (solar purpura) * Ambulatory * Able to apply topical medication to oneself
Exclusion criteria
* \<55 years old) * Pregnant or breastfeeding * History of allergy to tretinoin * History of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, bullous skin disease, cutaneous lupus, or cutaneous T cell lymphoma. * Planned cutaneous surgery on either forearm in the next 6 months * Use of any topical medication on the forearms within past month * Current or anticipated phototherapy of the forearms in the next 6 months * Current or anticipated chemotherapy within the next 6 months * Use of oral steroids within past month * Current or prior isotretinoin therapy within past 6 months * AV fistula of the arm
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in frequency of skin tears. | 6 months. |
| Change in epidermal (top layer of skin) thickness. | 6 months. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in percent of skin on the arms involved by solar purpura (bruising). | 6 months. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed