Assessing the effects of topical cannabidiol in patients with atopic dermatitis
Abstract
To the Editor:
Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic relapsing
inflammatory disorder characterized by pruritus,
erythema, and dry skin, is estimated to affect up to
20% of children and 3% of adults [1]. Pruritus is one
of the most distressing symptoms for patients with
AD and when severe, can negatively impact patients’
quality of life [2]. Current treatments for AD,
including topical corticosteroids, are effective yet
limited by unfavorable side effects [4,5]. Complex
neuro-cutaneous signaling in pruritus has proven to
be a significant therapeutic challenge for physicians
and patients. However, recent studies elucidating
this mechanism has provided opportunity to explore
neuromodulators, such as topical naltrexone,
capsaicin, and cannabidiol (CBD), as off-labeled
therapies for inflammatory skin disease [3,5,6].
Cannabinoids have demonstrated anti-inflammatory
and anti-pruritic properties in both in vitro and in
vivo studies and thus may be of clinical utility in the
treatment of AD [2]. To our knowledge there have
been no clinical studies assessing the effects of
cannabidiol (CBD) on AD patients. Herein, we
present a pre-post observational study, which aims
to appraise the effects of topical CBD as a therapeutic
option for AD
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