Effectiveness of topical 2% tranexamic acid in the management of melasma

Abstract

Background  Melasma is an important issue among the society that severely affects the skin. Hence, there is effort on regular basis from health care provider to find the best remedy for this disease.  Methods This is an experimental study done in the Dermatology department, Lahore general hospital (LGH), Lahore. After taking ethical approval letter from hospital ethical committee, consent was taken from all enrolled melasma patients. Both gender and age between 19 to 45years were selected. All the patients were assessed for baseline MASI score using the MASI questionnaire. Topical 2% tranexamic acid was given to the patients and they were told to keep away from sun light and apply sunblock cream SPF60. Clinical examination, photographs of affected area (Hiding the patient’s identity) and MASI scoring was carried out after 12 weeks of treatment to determine the efficacy as per operational definition. The clinical outcome was recorded on proforma. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.  Results There were total 120 cases of mean age 30.01±6.26 years. 64 (53.33%) were male cases and 56 (46.66%) were female cases. Baseline MASI score was 24.50±4.14, and after 2% tranexamic acid was 23.85±3.90. With respect to efficacy, it was noted that 86 (71.66%) attained positive response from 2% tranexamic acid with significant improvement in males.  Conclusion  Topical 2% tranexamic acid is the effective treatment in the management of melasma.