ArticleHealth science reports2021
Efficacy and safety of topical spironolactone 5% cream in the treatment of acne: A pilot study.
Article in Health science reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Oral and topical spironolactone in acne treatment: A meta-analysis of effectiveness and safety.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of Spironolactone in treating patients with acne vulgaris: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 1,086 patients.Archives of dermatological research · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of topical spironolactone versus topical dapsone in the treatment of acne vulgaris.Archives of dermatological research · 2024Trial
- "Acne vulgaris: key insights, treatment, and future prospects".Molecular diversity · 2026Review
- Oral and Topical Spironolactone in Adult Female Acne: A Narrative Review Comparing Systemic and Local Approaches.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2026Review
- Overview of the Efficacy and Safety of Topical Hormonal Therapies for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris: A Narrative Review.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology · 2026Review
- Efficacy and Safety of Hormonal Therapies for Acne: A Narrative Review.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2025Review
- A Systematic Review of Spironolactone Nano-Formulations for Topical Treatment of Skin Hyperandrogenic Disorders and Chronic Wounds.Pharmaceutics · 2024Review
- Efficacy and safety of topical spironolactone 5% cream in the treatment of acne: A pilot study.Health science reports · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSpironolactone is an effective treatment for female patients with acne vulgaris. However, topical spironolactone could be a valuable treatment option in both male and female acne patients due to the less possibility of systemic side effects with its topical formulation.
objectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of 5% spironolactone cream in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
methodsIn this pilot clinical trial, topical spironolactone 5% was evaluated to treat patients with mild to moderate acne twice a day for 8 weeks. The rate of improvement as any alterations in the number of open and closed comedones, facial inflammatory papules, and acne global grading scores were assessed. Moreover, skin biometric characteristics including skin hydration, erythema, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), pH, sebum, and
resultsFifteen patients participated in our study with a mean age of 25 ± 4.87 years old. A total of 66.6% (
conclusionThe topical 5% spironolactone cream seems to be an effective and safe treatment of acne vulgaris in both male and female patients.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.