Malva Sylvestris in the treatment of hand eczema

Background: hand eczema is one of the most common dermatologic diseases requiring treatment but common therapeutics such as corticosteroids and anti-histamines have numerous side effects. so, use of herbal agents, which generally have no major side effects, may be useful especially if their efficacy is established. malva sylvestris (ms) is a tropical plant in iran with cooling characteristics. hence, in this study, its efficacy in of the treatment of hand eczema was evaluated. methods: in this randomized clinical trial, 50 patients with hand eczema who were visited at shohada-e tajrish and loghman hospitals, tehran, iran, between 2006 and 2008, were recruited and divided into two groups. in the first group, ms 4% ointment was applied twice a day and in the other group, placebo ointment was usd. the efficacy and side effects were evaluated three and six weeks after beginning of the treatment. results: mean age of the patients was 37.3 years and 35.6 years in ms and placebo groups, respectively (p > 0.05). there were no therapeutic adverse effects in the groups. there was a statistically significant difference in all measured scores between two groups in the first and second follow-up sessions (p < 0.0001). conclusion: malva sylvestris seems to be a safe and effective therapeutic modality for the treatment of hand eczema and can be used as an optimal substitute for corticosteroids and anti- histamines.