Post-steroid management of chronic vulvar itching with a topical formula containing natural anti-itching and anti-inflammatory actives

Francesco Di Pierro,1 Eleonora Di Maio,2 Gaetana Di Paola,3 Raffaele Felice,4 Filippo Murina41Velleja Research, Milan, Italy; 2Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy; 3ASL TO-3/TO-4, Turin, Italy; 4Outpatient Department of Vulvar Disease, V Buzzi Hospital-ICP, Milan, ItalyAim: To determine whether use of a topical, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-itching formula was able to preserve the absence of symptoms, mainly itching and burning, induced by an earlier and relatively short treatment with topical steroids in women diagnosed with vulvar dermatitis or lichen simplex.Methods: Ninety-six subjects (36 with contact dermatitis, 29 with allergic dermatitis, 31 with lichen simplex) were enrolled in the study. All participants were first treated with topical mometasone furoate (MF) 0.1%. When the symptoms disappeared, they were treated either with Zantogin®, a multicomponent topical formula containing anti-inflammatory and anti-itching natural actives, or a control cream for 60 days.Results: The study demonstrated that, in about 85% of the participants treated with Zantogin®, symptoms disappeared completely, and only 15% had to resort to MF as needed, with an average use of about three applications per subject (in total). In the placebo group, approximately 90% of participants had to resort to MF as needed, with an average use per person of more than 16 applications in 60 days.Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that, following use of a topical steroid, symptoms such as burning and itching can be validly controlled with subsequent and longer therapy with a herbal topical formula, Zantogin®, which is able to properly counteract itching and inflammation, prevent symptom relapse, and avoid the typical side effects associated with prolonged use of topical steroids.Keywords: vulvar dermatitis, lichen simplex chronicus, vulvar itching, Zantogin®, zanthalen