Cadmium Sulfide Suspension in Seborrhea Capitis 1
William L. Kirby
1957
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
During the past two years a 1% cadmium sulfide suspension in a liquid detergent vehicle has undergone extensive experimental and clinical usage on small animals. Ten dogs were observed for several weeks and showed no untoward effects following oral administration of cadmium sulfide in a dosage of 125 mg. to 1 gm. The preparation was used by veterinarians as a shampoo on several hundred small animals and found effective for chronic seborrhea, cctoparasitosis (fleas and mites) and chronic
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... is (1). These findings suggest that cadmium sulfide is relatively non-toxic and can be used safely as a topical application on the scalp or intact skin. MATERIAL AND METHOD A 2% cadmium sulfide suspension shampoot was used in 84 patients with seborrheic problems in the scalp. They were advised to wet the hair, rub in the shampoo for two or three minutes, then rinse it thoroughly. A second application was to be massaged into the scalp for not less than five minutes, after which the scalp was again rinsed thoroughly. Shampooing twice weekly was advised in the more severe cases and once weekly in the milder cases of scborrhca capitis. No other medication was used in the scalp. Appropriate topical medication was ordered for the patients with involvement of the skin. REsULTs Of the eighty-four patients with seborrheic disease in the scalp thus treated eighty returned for follow-up examinations. The largest number of shampoos any patient had was 38. This patient had an extensive seborrhcic dermatitis of the postaural regions, axillae and pubis, which required treatment at intervals over a period of nine months. The scalp, however, responded satisfactorily to therapy after six shampoos (three weeks). Prophylactic shampoo was continued thereafter during the following eight months, and the scalp remained clear. A small number of patients had as few as three shampoos and were seen for only one follow-up examination. Six patients had seborrhea olcosa, and two of these had used selenium disulfide shampoo without benefit. This entire group responded satisfactorily to the cadmium sulfide suspension shampoo. Eight patients had seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp with moderate to severe involvement of the skin. These were followed from six weeks to nine months and the scalp condition was satisfactorily controlled in four to six weeks. Fifty-one patients had seborrhea sicea, and of this group fifty had good to excellent results; control usually occurring within three to four weeks after treatment was started. Only one patient in this group did not respond to cadmium sulfide suspension. This patient had shampoos twice weekly for four weeks without improvement. Fifteen patients with seborrhea steatoides were treated with the cadmium sulfide shampoo. Some of these cases were very severe but the response was excellent in all fifteen. None required more than twelve treatments.
doi:10.1038/jid.1957.82
fatcat:cmuqir4qyfdonex4lldzzfi7we