Biomaterial Database

Failure of papaverine to reduce pruritus in atopic dermatitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study. 1990

J Berth-Jones, and R A Graham-Brown

Department of Dermatology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, U.K.

Papaverine has been reported, largely on the basis of clinical experience, to reduce the severity of pruritus associated with atopic dermatitis. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was performed to assess the degree of improvement. Fifty subjects with atopic dermatitis each received papaverine 100 mg q.d.s. orally for 4 weeks and another 4 weeks of matching placebo in randomized order. The parameters used to measure response were pruritus as assessed on visual analogue scales by the subjects, clinical scoring of extent and severity of the dermatitis and rate of usage of topical steroid preparations. Forty-five subjects completed the protocol and no improvement in any parameter was demonstrated.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010208	Papaverine	An alkaloid found in opium but not closely related to the other opium alkaloids in its structure or pharmacological actions. It is a direct-acting smooth muscle relaxant used in the treatment of impotence and as a vasodilator, especially for cerebral vasodilation. The mechanism of its pharmacological actions is not clear, but it apparently can inhibit phosphodiesterases and it may have direct actions on calcium channels.	Cerespan,Papaverine Hydrochloride,Pavabid,Pavatym,Hydrochloride, Papaverine
D011537	Pruritus	An intense itching sensation that produces the urge to rub or scratch the skin to obtain relief.	Itching,Pruritis
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003876	Dermatitis, Atopic	A chronic inflammatory genetically determined disease of the skin marked by increased ability to form reagin (IgE), with increased susceptibility to allergic rhinitis and asthma, and hereditary disposition to a lowered threshold for pruritus. It is manifested by lichenification, excoriation, and crusting, mainly on the flexural surfaces of the elbow and knee. In infants it is known as infantile eczema.	Eczema, Atopic,Eczema, Infantile,Neurodermatitis, Atopic,Neurodermatitis, Disseminated,Atopic Dermatitis,Atopic Eczema,Atopic Neurodermatitis,Disseminated Neurodermatitis,Infantile Eczema
D004311	Double-Blind Method	A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment.	Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man