Papers of the Week

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects up to 60% of individuals and often leads to foot ulceration and eventual amputation. When oral therapy has failed to achieve pain relief, the first line local treatment is the 5% lidocaine-medicated plaster which provides local relief. Capsaicin 8% patch is considered a promising topical treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The present study investigated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of capsaicin 8% patch vs 5% lidocaine patch treatments over 24 weeks in South Asian male diabetic patients with established peripheral diabetic neuropathy.