Mometasone furoate in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children

Background Efforts are being made to find a non‐fluorinated topical corticosteroid with higher anti‐inflammatory activity for use in chronic dermatoses. Patients and methods In a third‐party blind evaluation study we compared Mometasone cream, 0.1% once a day, with Clobetasone cream, 0.05% twice daily, in 60 children with atopic dermatitis treated for 3 weeks. At each visit carried out at days 0, 7, 14. 21 we evaluated signs and symptoms, therapeutic response and skin atrophy. Further visits were carried out at days 2, 3, 4 to evaluate the onset of action. During the first and last visit we also carried out laboratory tests including blood cortisol. Results Mometasone was more effective and rapid in reducing signs and symptoms than Clobetasone. The difference between the two drugs was statistically significant (P < 0.05) from the fourth day of treatment for pruritus, and from days 7 and 14 for induration and eythema, respectively. At the end of the study 50% of the patients treated with Mometasone showed no symptoms vs 6.7% of those treated with Clobetasone. Topical and systemic tolerability were very good and laboratory tests were not significantly affected by either drug. Conclusions Monometasone cream seems to represent an interesting therapeutic approach to chronic dermatoses, i.e., atopic dermatitis. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved