Treatment of skin keratoses with α-hydroxy acids and related compounds

TLDR: In this article, topical application of a solution, gel, lotion, cream or ointment containing one or more of the α- or β-hydroxy acids or α-keto acids, esters thereof, and their amine salts is disclosed.

Abstract: Preventive as well as therapeutic treatment to alleviate the symptoms of skin keratoses consisting of topical application of a solution, gel, lotion, cream or ointment containing one or more of the α- or β-hydroxy acids or α-keto acids, esters thereof, and their amine salts is disclosed. The compounds include free acid or amine salt forms of α-hydroxy-butyric acid, α-hydroxyisobutyric acid, α-hydroxyisocaproic acid, α-hydroxyisovaleric, atrolactic acid, β-hydroxybutyric acid, β-phenyl lactic acid, β-phenylpyruvic acid, citric acid, ethyl pyruvate, galacturonic acid, glucoheptonic acid, glucoheptono 1,4-lactone, gluconic acid, gluconolactone, glucuronic acid, glucuronolactone, glycolic acid, isopropyl pyruvate, lactic acid, malic acid, mandelic acid, methyl pyruvate, mucic acid, pyruvic acid, saccharic acid, saccharic acid 1,4-lactone, tartaric acid, and tartronic acid. The therapeutic composition may include one or more of the compounds present in the total amount of from three to thirty percent. Topical application to affected areas has been found to achieve from substantial to complete remissions of the keratoses in humans.