Topical 0.03% atropine vs. 15% aluminum chloride in treating multiple eccrine hidrocystomas: A randomized single blind controlled study

Background: Multiple eccrine hidrocystomas pose a significant treatment challenge due to their facial location and tendency to scar after traditional surgical and other destructive modalities. Aims: To compare two frequently used non-destructive therapeutic modalities. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with multiple eccrine hidrocystomas were enrolled in the study. They used topical 0.03% Atropine cream and 15% AlCl 3 solution on left and right sides of their face randomly for 4 weeks. All the patients were visited before commencing the therapy as well as two and four weeks later by a dermatologist, blinded to the drugs and the number of lesions. Results: Twenty nine patients (25 females, four males) completed the study. The mean reduction in the number of lesions was significantly higher with Atropine cream in comparison with AlCl 3 solution, 10.2±7.4 vs. 6.2±5.3 ( P < 0.05). There were no recurrences after three months follow-up in both groups. Conclusion: It seems that both Atropine and AlCl 3 are useful therapies in eccrine hidrocytomas but the former might be more effective. We think that other randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes are needed.