Effect of Marham-i-Bāsalīqūn on Cervical Erosion (Qurūḥ al-Raḥim)): A Randomized Comparative Clinical Study

Abstract

Background and Objective: Cervical erosion (Qurūḥ al-Raḥim) is one of the most frequent gynecological conditions seen in clinical practice. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess the impact of the topical application of Marham-i-Bāsalīqūn in Qurūḥ al- Raḥim. Material and Method: A randomized comparative clinical study was carried out at the Institute Hospital in Bengaluru. Diagnosed cases (n=40) of cervical erosion were randomly assigned to test (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. A total of 6 g ointment of Marham-i-Bāsalīqūn (test drug) and tested Unani formulation (control drug) was applied with an applicator per vaginum over the eroded area of the cervix daily once at bedtime for 14 days. A single dose of the antibiotic regimen (azithromycin-1g and cefixime-400 mg) was administered orally in both groups. Subjective parameters like vaginal discharge, pruritus vulvae, low back ache, lower abdominal pain, and postcoital bleeding were assessed during the trial. The main outcome measure was an improvement in the cervical erosion grading score. The inference was executed with appropriate statistical analysis. Result: Improvement in the cervical erosion grading score was achieved in 50% and 40% of patients in the control and test groups, respectively, after 2 weeks of treatment with P<0.0001, which was considered highly significant. A highly significant improvement in subjective parameters was observed during the trial with P<0.0001. Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of cervical erosion among women of reproductive age group, effective treatment and safe strategies are highly recommended. Marham-i-Bāsalīqūn is cost-effective and has several therapeutic actions that can help to promote the healing of erosion and relieve the associated symptoms. The clinical trial was registered at the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI) with registration number CTRI/2022/02/040419.