General aerocryotherapy in the treatment of patients with pruritic dermatoses

ABSTRACT

Background. Whole body aerocryotherapy (WACT) is a physiotherapeutic technique that utilizes low temperatures for therapeutic purposes. WACT promotes metabolic processes in skin cells and subcutaneous fat. According to several authors, in many dermatoses, short-term exposure to extremely low temperatures does not disrupt the body's energy-functional mechanisms and affects all phases of stress, activating the body's physiological reserves as a whole. Cryotherapy has been used in medicine since time immemorial; however, the role of WACT in modern dermatology remains insufficiently studied, making this research topic relevant today.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of whole body aerocryotherapy in the treatment of patients with pruritic dermatoses.

Materials and Methods: The results of a prospective study involving 42 patients with pruritic dermatoses diagnosed with prurigo, chronic spontaneous urticaria, and pruritus are presented. Depending on the treatment regimen, the patients were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of 25 patients who received standard treatment according to their diagnoses and clinical guidelines. The second group included 17 patients who received combination therapy, including standard therapy and OACT.

All study participants underwent a clinical examination, which included collecting complaints, a medical history, and a medical history. All study participants underwent a dermatological examination with an assessment of specific and nonspecific disease symptoms.

All study participants underwent laboratory and instrumental examinations before and after therapy, including clinical blood and urine tests, blood biochemistry, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. All study participants were assessed for quality of life using the DIQI index and pruritus severity using the Prurindex and VAS scales.

Whole-body aero-cryotherapy was performed in an ICEQUEEN cryocapsule. This closed, thermally insulated chamber maintains a stable internal temperature within the range of -120 to -165°C, achieving optimal cryotherapeutic effects with uniform cooling of 98% of the body over several minutes.

Results: After 4 weeks of treatment of patients with itchy dermatoses using OACT, a statistically significant improvement in the severity of itching was observed according to the Prurindex and VAS scales: in the first group, the average Prurindex score decreased from 5.12 ± 0.31 to 1.95 ± 0.28 points (p > 0.05). In the second group - from 5.61 ± 0.26 points to 1.18 ± 0.31 (p < 0.05). The average level of serum IgE decreased from 249,1 IU/ml to 98,3 IU/ml in the first study group and from 253,7 IU/ml to 82,4 IU/ml in the second group (p < 0.05). The mean group DLQI scores also improved significantly in both study groups: from 25.1 ± 1.4 to 8.2 ± 1.1 and from 25.4 ± 1.8 to 6.3 ± 0.9 points (p < 0.05), respectively. Across all parameters studied, a clear trend toward more significant improvements was observed in patients in the second group, who received combination treatment with whole-body aerocryotherapy.

Conclusion: The use of whole-body aerocryotherapy in combination with traditional treatment methods is effective and safe, yielding better results in the treatment of patients with pruritic dermatoses compared to standard methods.

Keywords: pruritic dermatoses, aerocryotherapy, physiotherapy, cryocapsule.