Comparison of a Phenol and Menthol 1% Preparation Efficacy in Treatment of Chronic Itching Skin Lesions between Chemical Veterans due to Sulfur Mustard and Non-chemical Patients

Treatment of chronic skin lesions associated with pruritus is usually performed by oral antihistamines and topical corticosteroids, which may have some side effects. Phenol and menthol are drugs suggested for treatment of pruritus with established therapeutic effects in other disorders. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a phenol menthol preparation in treatment of pruritus resulting from chronic skin lesions due to sulfur mustard in chemical veterans and to compare with that in non-chemical patients.

Current study is a double blind clinical trial. The mediation used was a 1% phenol and 1% menthol preparation, with base of eucerine and solvent of almond oil applied as a topical ointment. Our subjects consisted of 40 sulfur mustard chemical veterans and 40 non- chemical patients with itching chronic skin lesions who were treated for 6 weeks and followed up to 6 weeks.

The preparation resulted in 15% cure in chemical patients in comparison with 20% in non-chemical cases. Burn sensation in chemical veteran group decreased from 30% to 17.5%, while it had no effect on non-chemical group.

The 1% phenol and 1% menthol preparation was effective in treatment of pruritus in chemical veterans as well as non-chemical patients and also was effective as a moisturizer. However, its role in treatment of burn sensation and desquamation was different in two groups the first problem was improved in chemical veteran group and the latter in non-chemical patients.