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Homeopathy 2023; 112(02): 074-084
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750799
Original Research Article

Individualized Homeopathic Medicines in the Treatment of Tinea Corporis: Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Bakibillah Laskar 
1   Department of Materia Medica, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Swapan Paul 
1   Department of Materia Medica, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Abhijit Chattopadhyay 
1   Department of Materia Medica, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Avaranjika Karuppusamy 
1   Department of Materia Medica, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Dharshna Balamurugan 
1   Department of Materia Medica, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Puja Bhakta 
2   Department of Homoeopathy Pharmacy, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Sourav Das 
1   Department of Materia Medica, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Siddhartha Pal 
3   Department of Organon of Medicine and Homoeopathic Philosophy, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
,
Navin Kumar Singh 
4   Department of Repertory, The Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, affiliated to The West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Govt. of West Bengal, India
,
Munmun Koley 
5   Department of Health & Family Welfare, East Bishnupur State Homoeopathic Dispensary, Chandi Daulatabad Block Primary Health Centre, Govt. of West Bengal, West Bengal, India
,
Subhranil Saha 
6   Department of Repertory, D.N.De Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Govt. of West Bengal, Tangra, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Abstract

Introduction Tinea corporis (TC; ringworm or dermatophytosis) is a superficial skin infection caused by Microsporum, Epidermophyton and Trichophyton genera of dermatophytes. We compared the effects of individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs) in fifty-millesimal (LM) potencies against placebo in TC.

Methods A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, two parallel arms trial was conducted on 62 individuals suffering from TC at the National Institute of Homoeopathy, India. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either IHMs in LM potencies or identical-looking placebos for a period of 3 months. The primary outcome measure was the number of participants showing complete disappearance of skin lesions after 3 months. Secondary outcomes were a numeric rating scale (NRS) measuring intensity of itching and the Skindex-29 questionnaire (overall, and three sub-scales – degree of symptoms, psychological functioning, emotional status). All were assessed at baseline and every month, up to 3 months. The intention-to-treat sample was analyzed to detect inter-group differences using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance after adjusting for baseline differences.

Results The primary outcome revealed no improvement in either of the groups (χ 2 = 0.012, p = 0.999). Inter-group differences in some of the secondary outcomes favored IHMs against placebo – itching NRS (mean group difference after 3 months: −0.7 (95% confidence interval [CI], −1.1 to −0.4; p = 0.001); Skindex-29 overall (mean group difference after 3 months: 3.2 [95% CI, −0.6 to 7.0; p = 0.009]); Skindex-29 degree of symptoms (mean group difference after 3 months: 0.9 [95% CI, −0.2 to 1.9; p = 0.007]); and Skindex-29 psychological functioning (mean group difference after 3 months: 1.7 [95% CI, 0–3.4; p = 0.002]).

Conclusion Results were negative on the primary outcome; however, secondary outcomes included some statistically significant results favoring IHMs against placebo after 3 months.

Trial registration CTRI/2019/11/021999; UTN: U1111–1242–0070.

Keywords

homeopathy - itching - placebo - randomized controlled trial - Skindex-29 - Tinea corporis

Authors' Contributions

B.L., S.P., A.C. and N.K.S. contributed toward concept, literature search, and preparation of the article; B.L., S.P., A.C., A.K., D.B., P.B., S.D., and S.P. contributed toward the clinical study and data acquisition; M.K. and S.S. developed the concept and did the study design, data interpretation, statistical analysis, and preparation of the article. All the authors reviewed and approved the final article.


Author Disclosure Statement

None declared.


Supplementary Material



Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 04. November 2021

Angenommen: 16. März 2022

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
19. September 2022

© 2022. Faculty of Homeopathy. This article is published by Thieme.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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