Introduction: A potential new psoriasis therapeutic derived from rhodomyrtone was determined for its safety and efficacy at a psoriasis clinic in a tropical dermatology hospital. Methods: A pilot, open-label trial was conducted in patients with mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis. A 1% topical formulation was applied to the psoriasis area twice daily for 8 weeks following the initial irritation test. PASI score was assessed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after intervention. Rhodomyrtone levels in blood plasma were evaluated at 0, 4, and 8 weeks. Haematological analysis and biochemical tests were performed to ensure the safety of the formulation. Results: Initial safety assessment of 1% topical formulation in eight psoriasis patients showed no signs of skin irritation or allergic reaction within 24 hours. Reduction in PASI score to an average of 30% improvement from baseline, maintained through up to 4 months post-treatment, was observed in 6 patients (75%) who received the 1% topical formulation since week 2, with no adverse effects. In the standard treatment group with 5% liquor carbonis detergens and 0.1% betamethasone, three patients (37.5%) showed a reduction in PASI score throughout the clinical study. By week 8, plasma monitoring revealed that five patients had rhodomyrtone levels below the limit of detection (40 ng/ml), while three had trace amounts of rhodomyrtone detected; however, the levels were much lower than those that could exert adverse effects. Liver and kidney function tests were normal in all patients. Discussion and Conclusion: The Potential efficacy and biocompatibility of the 1% topical formulation warrant further investigation in a phase 2 clinical trial to support its future use in psoriasis treatment.

Background: Tinea capitis is a common fungal infection of the scalp in children. Most cases are caused by Microsporum canis or Trichophyton mentagrophyte. Wood lamps screen for tinea capitis by detecting green-yellow fluorescence produced by tryptophan metabolites. Because wood lamps are expensive and replacement parts are difficult to find during maintenance, we have developed a blacklight blue lamp device with a similar wavelength that is cheaper than wood lamps. Objective: To evaluate the BLB lamp device for screening tinea capitis by determining the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy compared to fungus culture (gold standard). Materials and methods: One hundred seventy-five patients with suspected tinea capitis were tested using KOH examination, fungal culture, a Wood lamp, and a blacklight blue lamp device. The research data obtained will be used to analyze the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the blacklight blue lamp device by comparing it using various methods. Results: The analysis assessed the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the blacklight blue lamp device, Wood lamp, and KOH preparation when comparing fungal culture as the standard method for diagnosing tinea capitis. The sensitivity was 99.39%, 100%, and 100%, specificity was 100%, 90.91%, and 100%, and accuracy was 99.43%, 99.43%, and 100%, respectively. The p-value for the three methods’ differences was 0.723 for sensitivity, 0.735 for specificity, and 0.676 for accuracy. These results show that the differences between the two methods’ sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The blacklight blue lamp device effectively screened tinea capitis with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy that were not significantly different from the wood lamp. It may be an inexpensive tool used as a substitute in the health service system.