BACKGROUND: Superficial bacterial infection is among the most common reasons for dermatologic consult. Numerous published articles suggest that the dried leaf of malunggay exhibits antibacterial property.
OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness and safety of 15% malunggay ointment with 2% mupirocin ointment in treating localized pyoderma.
METHODS: Sixty-three patients with localized pyoderma (?10% of total body surface area) were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind study to apply either 15% malunggay or 2%  mupirocin ointment twice daily for 14 days. Clinical evaluation using the Global Assessment Score (GAS) for pruritus, pain, erythema, vesiculation, moistness and crusting were conducted at baseline and days 3, 7 and 14 of clinic visit.
RESULTS: Both malunggay and mupirocin groups showed significant decreases in GAS from baseline to days 3, 7 and 14 of treatment (p=0.000, Repeated measures, ANOVA). By days 7 and 14, median GAS of malunggay ointment was higher than mupirocin (1 vs. 0, p<0.05, Mann Whitney U Test). Cure rates were higher in the mupirocin arm comapred to the malunggay arm in Day 3 (53.13% vs. 38.71%), Day 7 (93.75% vs. 70.97%) and Day 14 (96.88% vs. 77.42%). No adverse events were noted after application of malunggay-based ointment at the end of the study period. There were no recurrence two weeks post treatment.
CONCLUSION: Patients in the mupirocin treatment arm had significantly lower global assessment scores and higher cure rates compared to those in the malunggay treatment arm.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Child ; Ambulatory Care ; Anti-bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Infections ; Erythema ; Mupirocin ; Ointments ; Pain ; Pruritus ; Pyoderma

Nevus comedonicus is a rare developmental anomaly of the pilosebaceous unit presenting as grouped dilated follicular orifices plugged with keratin. The comedones are usually arranged unilaterally along the lines of Blaschko. As of year 2000, only 200 cases have been reported.