FRIDAY, Aug. 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Patients with dark skin may have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, according to a study published online July 26 in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Michelle Lazar of Boston University School of Medicine and her colleagues investigated the frequency of common side effects after sclerotherapy in various Fitzpatrick skin types. The analysis included data from 134 patient visits for sclerotherapy (treatment with 0.5 to 1 percent polidocanol).
The researchers noted 12 adverse events across all visits, for an adverse event rate of 8.96 percent. Adverse events included blistering (six events), postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH; five events), induration (three events), superficial thrombophlebitis (one event), and ulcer (one event). In the patient with superficial thrombophlebitis, there was no evidence of acute deep vein thrombosis on Doppler ultrasound. Overall, most adverse events occurred in patients with Fitzpatrick skin type III or higher, while all PIH adverse events occurred in patients with Fitzpatrick skin type IV or higher.
“Our data show that sclerotherapy is safe in dark-skinned populations, even though PIH is more common in them than in people with lighter skin,” the authors write.
Summary/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
