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Topical tar: back to the future.
J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009 Aug; 61(2):294-302.JA

Abstract

The use of medicinal tar for dermatologic disorders dates back to the ancient times. Although coal tar is utilized more frequently in modern dermatology, wood tars have also been widely employed. Tar is used mainly in the treatment of chronic stable plaque psoriasis, scalp psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis, either alone or in combination therapy with other medications, phototherapy, or both. Many modifications have been made to tar preparations to increase their acceptability, as some dislike its odor, messy application, and staining of clothing. One should consider a tried and true treatment with tar that has led to clearing of lesions and prolonged remission times. Occupational studies have demonstrated the carcinogenicity of tar; however, epidemiologic studies do not confirm similar outcomes when used topically. This article will review the pharmacology, formulations, efficacy, and adverse effects of crude coal tar and other tars in the treatment of selected dermatologic conditions.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Paghdal KV
Dermatology and Pathology, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA.
Schwartz RA
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Administration, TopicalCoal TarCohort StudiesDermatitis, AtopicDermatitis, SeborrheicDose-Response Relationship, DrugFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMalePsoriasisRisk AssessmentTarsTreatment Outcome

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Review

Language

eng

PubMed ID

19185953

Citation

Paghdal, Kapila V., and Robert A. Schwartz. "Topical Tar: Back to the Future." Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 61, no. 2, 2009, pp. 294-302.
Paghdal KV, Schwartz RA. Topical tar: back to the future. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009;61(2):294-302.
Paghdal, K. V., & Schwartz, R. A. (2009). Topical tar: back to the future. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 61(2), 294-302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2008.11.024
Paghdal KV, Schwartz RA. Topical Tar: Back to the Future. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009;61(2):294-302. PubMed PMID: 19185953.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Topical tar: back to the future. AU - Paghdal,Kapila V, AU - Schwartz,Robert A, Y1 - 2009/01/31/ PY - 2007/09/13/received PY - 2008/10/28/revised PY - 2008/11/06/accepted PY - 2009/2/3/entrez PY - 2009/2/3/pubmed PY - 2009/8/6/medline SP - 294 EP - 302 JF - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology JO - J Am Acad Dermatol VL - 61 IS - 2 N2 - The use of medicinal tar for dermatologic disorders dates back to the ancient times. Although coal tar is utilized more frequently in modern dermatology, wood tars have also been widely employed. Tar is used mainly in the treatment of chronic stable plaque psoriasis, scalp psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis, either alone or in combination therapy with other medications, phototherapy, or both. Many modifications have been made to tar preparations to increase their acceptability, as some dislike its odor, messy application, and staining of clothing. One should consider a tried and true treatment with tar that has led to clearing of lesions and prolonged remission times. Occupational studies have demonstrated the carcinogenicity of tar; however, epidemiologic studies do not confirm similar outcomes when used topically. This article will review the pharmacology, formulations, efficacy, and adverse effects of crude coal tar and other tars in the treatment of selected dermatologic conditions. SN - 1097-6787 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/19185953/Topical_tar:_back_to_the_future_ L2 - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0190-9622(08)01457-6 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -