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Case Reports
. 2022 Mar;11(1):138-140.
doi: 10.52547/wjps.11.1.138.

A Rare Case of a Chemical Burn: Dithranol with Salicylic Acid

Dharshanan Raj Selva Raj  1 , Bismark Adjei  1 , Omar Farooq Al-Nahhas  1 , Lutfi Kamil  1 , Indira Yonjan  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Rare Case of a Chemical Burn: Dithranol with Salicylic Acid

Dharshanan Raj Selva Raj et al. World J Plast Surg. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

A 16-year-old female with psoriasis presented to our Plastic Surgery Department with a significant chemical burn to the neck, upper torso and left cheek (TBSA 6%). She applied a concoction of cream prescribed by her dermatologist in her native country, Poland when she returned to the United Kingdom. A few hours after application she developed a burn with pH of 5. A review of the cream revealed a mixture of 19% dithranol and 5% salicylic acid. This combination is recognized for managing psoriasis, however the strength of dithranol in the combination given is of a high concentration (normally <3%). This alone can cause a burn to the skin if left for a prolonged period of time. Salicylic acid is an enhancer which augments the stability of dithranol and increases its penetration and efficacy. The concentration of 5% is also on the higher end. Our patient was admitted for pain relief and further irrigation till normalization of the pH which was achieved after 3 days. A worrying aspect in our patients' case is that she was given the cream to commence at home. High concentration preparation is normally commenced in a controlled setting under medical supervision.

Keywords: Chemical Burn; Dithranol; Psoriasis; Salicylic Acid.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Progress of skin changes and burns to the neck and face from Days 1-13
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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