ArticleIndian dermatology online journal2026
Clinical and Dermoscopic Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Metformin versus Pioglitazone in Acanthosis Nigricans: A Randomised Controlled Trial.
Article in Indian dermatology online journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAcanthosis nigricans (AN) features thick, hyperpigmented skin in flexural areas, often indicating insulin resistance. Dermoscopy of AN demonstrates sulci cutis and crista cutis, and differentiates it from other pigmentary dermatoses. Comparative efficacy studies are lacking in the literature. This study evaluates the clinical and dermoscopic changes in AN treated with metformin and pioglitazone. PATIENTS AND
methodsA randomised open-label trial was conducted on consenting AN patients aged 18 years or older. Patients were randomized to receive either metformin 500mg twice a day or pioglitazone 7.5mg twice a day for 3 months. Clinical grading, anthropometric measurements, and dermoscopic features were compared at baseline and at study completion at 12 weeks using IBM SPSS v26.
resultsSixty-five patients (mean age 35 years) were distributed between two groups. Both drugs significantly improved clinical grading from baseline to 12 weeks. Metformin notably reduced the body mass index (29.55 ± 3.51 kg/m 2 to 28.92 ± 3.44 kg/m 2 ) and weight (76.58 ± 10.21 kg to 74.64 ± 10.30 kg) more than pioglitazone, but there were no significant differences in other parameters. Both drugs significantly changed dermoscopic parameters, including sulci cutis and hyperpigmented dots and globules, with no differences between them. Papillary projection morphology correlated significantly with clinical grading. LIMITATIONS: The limitations of this study include a relatively short study duration, and a lack of assessment of the effect of patient and disease-related factors on treatment response.
conclusionMetformin and pioglitazone both significantly improved AN clinically and dermoscopically, with no significant differences in efficacy between them. Metformin is more effective in reducing weight and body mass index, and is suitable for overweight patients. Pioglitazone is an alternative for those intolerant or unresponsive to metformin. Dermoscopic parameters can indicate early treatment response before visible clinical improvement.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.