Assessment of the effect of phenytoin on cutaneous healing from excision of melanocytic nevi on the face and on the back

This study evaluated 100 patients with skin wounds from excision of melanocytic nevi. 50 patients with lesions on the face and 50 patients with lesions on the back, totalizing 200 lesions excised with modified punch. The resulting superficial skin wounds had the same diameter and depth, and second intention healing followed.Patients were followed for 60 days. Student's t-test, Mann Whitney nonparametric test, analysis of variance, LSD test, Shapiro-Wilks test and Fisher test were used to analyze the results, depending on the nature of the variables being studied.Phenytoin showed better therapeutic and cosmetic results, by healing faster, with more intense epithelization in wounds in comparison with cream (control). Phenytoin showed a statistically significant difference regarding the following parameters (p < 0.05): wounded area and healing time. Phenytoin application resulted in a smaller area and a shorter healing time. Also the intensity of exudates, bleeding, and the epithelization were more intense in phenytoin-treated wounds. Regarding the shape and thickness of the scar, injuries treated with phenytoin had round and flat shaped scars in most of the cases. Considering patient's gender and phototype, female patients presented smaller wounds and scar areas; and phototype I had the largest scar areas. Contact eczema was an adverse reaction in 7 injuries located on the back caused by cream (control) and hypoallergenic tape.Phenytoin showed better therapeutic and cosmetic results compared with cream (control). Phenytoin is a low cost drug, which accelerates skin wounds healing in human patients. Trial registration: ISRCTN96539803This paper investigates the use of topical phenytoin in the treatment of cutaneous wounds resulting from excision of melanocytic nevi on the face and on the back. The 5.5-diphenyl-2-4-imidazolidione, sodium (phenytoin), was synthesized in 1908, and has been used as an anticonvulsant, since 1937. It was later noticed that half the patients t