Vitamin D3 is not effective in the treatment of chronic chilblains

Background: Chronic chilblains is a common disease causing major restrictions in daily life, nevertheless little is known about effective treatment. In a literature search, we found thin evidence of three interventions: fluocinolone cream, nifedipine and vitamin D3. Objective: We have conducted a study to assess the effect of oral administration of 2000 IU vitamin D3 per day on patients suffering from chronic chilblains. Methods: The study was based on a self-controlled design. The study population consisted of patients with a confirmed diagnosis. Outcome measurement was the change in severity of the complaints and disability. We checked for interference by temperature and other confounders. Limitations: The size of the cohort (n = 33) was a limitation. Results: After correction for confounding factors, 19% of the subjects reported fewer complaints and 6% fewer disability, in both the placebo and vitamin D3 treatment groups. Conclusion: Oral administration of 2000 IU vitamin D3 per day is not better than placebo in the treatment of patients with chronic chilblains. © 2009 The Authors.