ClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT06267066Updated Feb 20, 2024

Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser: A Novel Therapeutic Option for Lichen Simplex Chronicus

An interventional study of Betamethasone Valerate 0.1% Cream and SmartXide® fractional carbon dioxide laser in Lichen Simplex Chronicus, sponsored by Cairo University. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in Egypt. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-02-20.

Sponsored by Cairo University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Aug 2024, 2 years 3 months ago, but the record still lists the study as not yet recruiting.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this randomized control trial is to compare the use of fractional carbon dioxide (Co2) laser to topical corticosteroids to treat lichen simplex chronicus (LSC) patients presenting to Dermatology outpatient clinic, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University.

Participants will:

  • Be assessed clinically by doctor
  • Biopsies will be taken from them by doctor
  • Receive treatment as laser or topical steroids or both
  • Fill in depression questionnaire.

Researchers will divide and compare groups as follows:

Sixty patients will be divided randomly through closed envelop technique into 2 groups (Group A and B) each of 30 patients. Group A will be subdivided into 2 groups (1 and 2). All LSC lesions will be treated in any patient having multiple lesions.

  • Group 1 - A: Patients will receive 3 monthly laser sessions, in addition to the use of topical emollients only once daily in between the sessions.
  • Group 2 - A: Patients will receive 3 monthly laser sessions, in addition to topical steroids twice daily and topical emollient once daily in between the sessions.
  • Group B: Patients will be prescribed topical steroids twice daily and topical emollient once daily for 3 months.

to see if:

  1. Pruritus severity scale.
  2. Scaling, erythema, lichenification excoriation scores
  3. Visual analogue scale.
  4. Investigator's Global Assessment.
  5. Itching mediators (Interleukin-31, Nerve Growth Factor and Substance P assays (itching mediators)
  6. Depression

improve more in which group of patients after treatment.

Read the detailed description

All the patients were subjected to the following:

I. Before treatment:

A. Consent: An informed written consent will be signed by each patient before enrolment in the study.

B. Detailed history taking :

  • Personal history: name, age, sex, skin type, occupation, residence, marital status, and smoking.
  • History of present illness: onset, course, duration of disease, precipitating factors and any medications.
  • Past history of any associated systemic or dermatological diseases.
  • Family history of any dermatological disease e.g. psoriasis, atopic dermatitis,....etc.
  • Drug history.

C. Skin biopsy: Two 3 mm punch biopsies will be taken from the lesion from each patient under local anesthesia using (Lidocaine®). One for histopathology to confirm diagnosis of LSC and the other for measuring itching mediators in the lesion before treatment by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)). Another biopsy will be taken from a non lesional skin from same patient for measuring itching mediators by ELISA. Biopsies for ELISA will be stored at -20 degree celsius in eppendorfs with 3 ml phosphate buffer saline (PBS) added to each eppendorf. Tissue samples with PBS will be homogenized by a grinder, then centrifuged for 20 minutes at 3000 revolutions per minute (rpm) speed, the supernatant will be removed to be added to the ELISA kit wells for Human Interleukin-31, Nerve Growth Factor and Substance P assays (itching mediators)

D. Clinical assessment:

  1. Pruritus severity scale.
  2. Scaling, erythema, lichenification excoriation scores
  3. Visual analogue scale.
  4. Investigator's Global Assessment.

    E. Depression assessment: Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire will be used to assess the depression in each patient .

    F. Therapeutic Intervention: Patients will be divided as discussed before. - Topical steroids used will be a moderate potency topical steroid.

    • Fractional carbon dioxide laser sessions for groups A (1 and 2) by laser machine.
    • Parameters of laser session: (Parameters will be adjusted according to skin type, lesion thickness and condition) Power 15 to 20 watt according to skin color. Dwell time 800 to1000 milliseconds. Spacing 600 micrometers. Stack 2

    II. After treatment:

    A. Assessment of biochemical efficacy (measuring itching mediators after treatment): After one month from the last session for group A and after one month from stoppage of steroids for group B, a skin biopsy from the plaque (from a nearby site to the former one) will be taken as discussed before for ELISA.

    B. Assessment of clinical efficacy by scores as discussed before.

    C. Depression assessment: Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire will be repeated.

    D. Assessment of safety:

    • Assessment of side effects of laser and their treatment:

    Erythema, burning sensation, PIH, pruritus and/or pixilation. • Assessment of side effects of topical corticosteroids and their treatment: Atrophy, telangiectasia, hypopigmentation, hypertrichosis, purpura, ulceration, irritation, secondary infection.

    • Assessment of side effects of skin biopsy and their treatment: Bleeding, secondary infection and/or Scarring.
02

Conditions studied

  • Lichen Simplex Chronicus

Keywords

  • Lichen Simplex Chronicus
  • Fractional carbon dioxide laser
  • Depression
  • Interleukin 31
  • Nerve Growth Factor
  • Substance P
03

In context

Neurodermatitis

22 studies on the registry are indexed under Neurodermatitis; 3 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 60 is above the median of 44 across 22 interventional studies indexed under Neurodermatitis.

Browse Neurodermatitis studies →

Lead sponsor

Cairo University is the lead sponsor of 4,941 studies on the registry; 1,458 are open to participants now.

Of its 37 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 5 (14%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with LSC with no underlying dermatological disease, not on topical or systemic treatment for at least 4 weeks prior to study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant and lactating females.
  • Patients who are diagnosed with any systemic disease that can result in generalized pruritus (e.g. hepatic, renal, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, thyroid,....etc ) from history.
  • Patients with to laser e.g., keloidal tendency, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH).
  • Patients with dermatological disease (e.g. psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, ....etc)
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Topical Corticosteroids

    Patients will be prescribed topical steroids cream twice daily and topical emollient once daily for 3 months.

    Drug: Betamethasone Valerate 0.1% Cream · Drug: Vaseline Topical Product

  • Active comparator
    Fractional carbon dioxide

    Patients will receive 3 monthly laser sessions, in addition to the use of topical emollients only once daily in between the sessions.

    Device: SmartXide® fractional carbon dioxide laser · Drug: Vaseline Topical Product

  • Active comparator
    Combined topical corticosteroids and Laser

    Patients will receive 3 monthly laser sessions, in addition to topical steroids twice daily and topical emollient once daily in between the sessions.

    Drug: Betamethasone Valerate 0.1% Cream · Device: SmartXide® fractional carbon dioxide laser · Drug: Vaseline Topical Product

Interventions

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Comparison between 2 groups regarding change in Pruritus severity scale

    Minimum value: 3 , Maximum value: 22 , higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  2. Comparison between 2 groups regarding change in Visual analogue scale

    Minimum value:0 , Maximum value: 10, higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  3. Comparison between 2 groups regarding change in Investigator's Global Assessment.

    Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 3, higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  4. Comparison between 2 groups regarding change in Scaling score

    Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 3, higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  5. Comparison between 2 groups regarding change in Erythema score

    Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 3, higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  6. Comparison between 2 groups regarding change in Lichenification score

    Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 3, higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  7. Comparison between 2 groups regarding change in Excoriation score

    Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 3, higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

Secondary outcomes

  1. change of depression score in both groups.

    Minimum value: 0, Maximum value: 63, higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  2. change of itching mediators' levels (IL-31, Nerve Growth Factor and substance) between 2 groups

    all will be measured by pg/ml

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

  3. Comparison of itching mediator's levels in lesional, non-lesional skin and healthy controls

    all will be measured by pg/ml

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 5months

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Lobna Alieldin
    Cairo, 11562, Egypt
  • Lobna Alieldin
    Cairo, 11562, Egypt
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Participants' data that underlie reported results will be shared upon request, after deidentification, for researches who provide a methodologically sound proposal to access data to achieve aims in the approved proposal. This is beginning 3 months up to 12 months after publication.

Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form, Clinical study report, Analytic code

Time frame: 3 months up to 12 months after publication.

Access criteria: Researches who provide a methodologically sound proposal to access data to achieve aims in the approved proposal.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 20, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06267066
Lead sponsor
Cairo University
Responsible party
Lobna Gamal Alieldin (Assistant lecturer, Cairo University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 20, 2024
Start date
Mar 1, 2024 (estimated)
Primary completion
Aug 1, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 30, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 20, 2024

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drug tested here: Betamethasone Valerate

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