Diclofenac Sodium 1% Gel Reduces Size of Seborrheic Keratosis Lesions Better Than Topical Ibuprofen

The use of topical diclofenac sodium 1% gel during 8 weeks was associated with a significantly greater reduction in the size of seborrheic keratosis lesions compared with topical ibuprofen gel, according to study findings published in Dermatologic Therapy.

In this single-center study, a total of 30 patients with seborrheic keratosis (mean age, 65.23±7.09 years [range, 50-77 years]) had 1 lesion treated with topical diclofenac sodium 1% gel and another lesion treated with topical ibuprofen gel. The gels were applied twice daily for 8 weeks. The investigators measured the surface area of each lesion before treatment and after the 8-week period using Adobe Photoshop.

There was a significant decrease in the surface area of lesions treated with topical diclofenac 1% gel from before to after treatment (mean, 1.88±1.35 to 0.72±0.61 cm², respectively; P =.001). The mean percentage change in surface area of lesions treated with topical diclofenac 1% was 61.7±17.06%. In contrast, no statistically significant decrease was observed in the surface area of lesions treated with the topical ibuprofen from before treatment to after treatment (mean, 1.13±1.2 to 1.04±1.1 cm2, respectively; P =.057). The mean percentage of change in surface area of the lesions treated with topical ibuprofen was 7.96%±6.65%.

When the investigators compared the 2 treatment approaches, a significantly higher change in surface area was found for lesions treated with diclofenc 1% gel (P =.001). There were no complaints from adverse events with either treatment approach.

The investigators noted that “in the present work we evaluated lower concentration of topical diclofenac sodium 1% gel which is already available in market and doesn’t require preparation,” suggesting this potentially effective treatment may be easy to obtain by patients.

Reference

Afify AA, Hana MR. Comparative evaluation of topical diclofenac sodium versus topical ibuprofen in the treatment of seborrheic keratosis. Published online October 6, 2020. Dermatol Ther. doi:10.1111/dth.14370