외용제를 활용한 주사(Rosacea) 치료의 임상연구 동향- 중의학 무작위 대조군 임상시험을 중심으로-

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical applicability of topical herbal therapy in the treatment of rosacea, focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). It sought to provide evidence for treatment strategies in Korean medicine by analyzing therapeutic efficacy, safety, and the most frequently used herbal components. Methods: We searched Chinese and English databases for RCTs on the use of topical herbal therapy in the treatment of rosacea and analyzed data published between 2010 and 2024. From the included studies, we summarized the number of participants, age, sex ratio, intervention methods, intervention period, outcome measures, treatment results, and adverse events for each study, and compiled the frequency of prescriptions as well as the usage frequency of individual herbal ingredients. Results: Analysis of the seven RCTs showed that combining topical herbal therapy with conventional therapy enhanced treatment efficacy, with no serious adverse events reported. The total effective rate was the primary outcome measure in six studies, and in all cases, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group (P < 0.05). Sophorae Flavescens Radix (苦蔘), Scutellariae Radix (黃芩), Phellodendri Cortex (黃柏), and Houttuyniae Herba (魚腥草) were the most frequently used herbs, all of which possess anti-inflammatory. Conclusions: This study suggests that combining topical herbal therapy with conventional therapy can enhance treatment efficacy and ensure safety in the management of rosacea. However, further research is warranted to substantiate these findings.