Chronic hand eczema (CHE)is a distressing disease that poses difficult problems for dermatologists. CHE leads to considerable work-absenteeism, disability and exclusion from labour market. Conventional treatments, including highly potent topical steroids, yield often unsatisfactory results. This study investigates the efficacy and safety of oral alitretinoin, a retinoid, in patients who have not responded to avoidance of causative factors, such as contact allergens and skin irritants, non-medicated skin care and highly potent topical steroids. Eligible patients are randomly assigned to receive alitretinoin or a placebo.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of alitretinoin in the treatment of severe chronic hand eczema that does not respond to treatment with potent topical steroids.