Daily topical sequential triple therapy(tretinoin, betamethasone valerate and hydroquinone), as proposed by Kligman et al and Gano et al, has been performed on 29 Korean female patients with melasma. After 4 weeks treatment with 2% hydroquinone cream, only three of eight patients (37. 5%) showed good to excellent results. However, after 4 weeks treatment with 4% hydroquinone cream, twelve of twentyone patients (57. 1%) showed good to excellent results and its therapeutic effects appeared more rapidly than the former group. Overall, after 4 weeks treatment. 96.6% of the total group showed fair to excellent results of which 57. 7% had a good to excellent rating. The fair-com- plexioned Koreans had a better response than dark-complexioned.
Betamethasone Valerate* ; Betamethasone* ; Female ; Humans ; Melanosis* ; Tretinoin*

BACKGROUND: The abuse, misuse, and adverse effects to topical drugs have been widespread in Korea due to lack of awareness of seriousness of drug abuse and misuse, and improper designation of prescription and non-prescription drugs. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to bring Korean people to an awareness of the abuse, misuse, and adverse effects of topical drugs, and to stress the importance of proper designation of non-prescription drugs. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective, clinico-epidemiologic evaluation was made from patients with adverse effects to topical drugs who visited 31 dermatologic departments in university hospitals or private clinics nationwide from march, 2002 to December, 2002. RESULTS: The diagnostic incidence of adverse effects from topical drugs are abuse and misuse (40%), dermatophytosis incognito (29%), bacterial infection (14%), contact dermatitis (9%), acne (2.5%), skin atrophy (1.4%), telangiectasia (1%). Erghty three percent of adverse effects are caused by topical corticosteroids, and betamethasone valerate, prednicarbate and triamcinolone acetonide are commonly used topical corticosteroids that induce adverse effects frequently. The most common way to obtain topical drugs is purchase directly from pharmacist without prescriptions. CONCLUSION: From this study, we confirmed that adverse effects to topical corticosteroids are very common even after the enforcement of designation of prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs. The proper designation of prescripton drugs should be reevaluated and based on the safety of patients to protect people from adverse effects of topical drugs.
Acne Vulgaris ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Atrophy ; Bacterial Infections ; Betamethasone Valerate ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Nonprescription Drugs ; Pharmacists ; Prescription Drugs ; Prescriptions ; Prospective Studies ; Skin ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Telangiectasis ; Tinea ; Triamcinolone Acetonide

Dermatologic treatment was greatly advanced when topical corticasteroids were introduced for the management of many inflammatory and pruritic dermatoses. Their use reduced or diminished mnst of the undiserable side effects which accompanied the systemic administration of these compounds. The good effects of topical application of hydrocortisone had been demonstration in the treatment of variaus dermatoses eg., atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, contact dermatitis etc. The halogenated derivatives followed and led to the trend to most of analogs now in use. Especially, fluocinolone acetonide cream greatly enhanced its therapeutic effectiveness in psoriasis, chronic discoid lupus erythematosus, pustular bacterid, granuloma and neurodermatitis circumscripta. But many side effects of topical corticosteroids such as steroid acne. Stria were developed and also fluorinated topical corticosteroids resulted in telangiectasia, purpura, atrophy in skin. Weber reported that strong topical corticosteroids eg.. Betamethasone valerate and fluocinolone acetonide were resulted in rosacealikc dermatitis and it was steadily increased. These adverse side effcts of topical corticosteroids, especially steroid acne, were indisputable argument in dermatologic field, for the view that this topical corticosterodis is used for cosmetics and treatment of acne vulgaris in our country. Since the strong corticosteroid tnpical preparation, the peculiar form acne, so called steroid acne, was steadily increased in our clinic. Behrman and goodman reported that acneform eruption induced by hormone was not associated with oiliness and there were but few comedone. Sullivan and Zeligman reported that the the acneform eruption due to adrenal corticaa 1 hormone was uniform in size, small papule and few pustule, usualIy erythematous base. There were also differential histologic feature. The most important difference is the normal apperance of sebaceous glands in acneform eruption due to corticosteroids contrast with hyperplasia in acne vulgaris. Abscess formation was more frequent and more extensive in acne vulgaris. Sutton Jr and Van Scott & MacCardle described that histologically, the major component in lesion of steroid acne was excessive keratinization of follicle. Castor and Baker demonstrated that topical application of corticosteroids resulted in decrease of sebaceous gIands, decrease of mitosis and increased cornification in epidermis. The present study investigated clinical case of the steroid acne, which are induced by topical application and systemic administration of corticosteroids and experimentally induced the steroid acne with the topical application of corticosteroid. And also clinical cases and experimentally induced steroid acne were compared with acne vulgaris. Material and method Subjects are 13 Patients of steroid acne induced by strong topical corticosteroid eg., fluocinolone acetonide, fluocortolone, dexamethaone, betamethasone valerate and 4 patients of steroid acne induced by systemic administration of corticosteroid eg., prednisolone and also 10 patients of acne vulgaris. Biopsy was performed from 13 patients of topical steroid acne, 3 patients of steroid acne induced by systemic administration of steroid and one patient of acne vulgaris. In order to induce steroid acne, experimentally, strong topical corticosteroid such as beta methasone valerate, fluocinolone acetonide and fluocortolone were applied on back. Comment and conclusion In Clinical feature, the steroid acne by topical application and systemic administration of corticosteroid and experimentally induced steroid acne had unique clinicall features, that showed absence of comedone and uniform sized follicular papule on deep seated erythematous scaly base. The topical steroid acne was distributed the region where were applied. But the eruption of the steroid acne induced by systemic administration of corticosteroids was distributed to face, neck, and scalp. Above findings are quite different form acne vulgaris. Histopathologically, the steroid acne induced by topical application and systemic administration of corticosterojds showed hypoplasia of sebaceous glands and excessive follicular keratinization. Occlusion of pilosebaceous opening by keratotic plug in severe case by long term application showed atrophy of epidermis and sparsity of sebaceous glands with hypokeratosis and parakeratosis. In experimentally induced steroid acne, it was definitely specific features which were absolutely identcall with above cinical steroid acne.
Abscess ; Acne Vulgaris* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Atrophy ; Betamethasone Valerate ; Biopsy ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Epidermis ; Fluocinolone Acetonide ; Fluocortolone ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperplasia ; Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid ; Mitosis ; Neck ; Neurodermatitis ; Parakeratosis ; Prednisolone ; Psoriasis ; Purpura ; Scalp ; Sebaceous Glands ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Telangiectasis

Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Betamethasone Valerate ; therapeutic use ; Child, Preschool ; Coloring Agents ; adverse effects ; toxicity ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Fusidic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Histamine Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Parenting ; Phenylenediamines ; adverse effects ; toxicity ; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Singapore ; Tattooing ; adverse effects ; Time Factors

Melasma is an acquired symmetric hypermelanosis characterized by irregular lightto gray-brown macules and patches on sun-exposed areas. Many therapeutic agents are available but are unsatisfactory. Recently, it has been demonstrated that lincomycin (LM) and linoleic acid (LA) can inhibit melanogenesis in vitro. Our purpose was to investigate the clinical efficacy of topical application of LM and LA in combination with betamethasone valerate (BV) in melasma patients. Fortyseven Korean female adults with clinically diagnosed melasma were enrolled in a 6-week, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Patients were treated with one application of the vehicle (group A), 2% LM mixed with 0.05% BV (group B), or 2% LM mixed with 0.05% BV and 2% LA (group C) on the face every night. Determination of efficacy was based on the Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) score and objective assessment (no effect, mild, moderate, or excellent) at intervals of 2 weeks until the end of the study at 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, in comparison with the pre-treatment MASI score, the average MASI score of group C decreased to 68.9%, compared with 98% in group A (p<0.05) and 85.4% in group B. There was no statistically significant difference between group A and group B. Seven patients (43.7%) in group C revealed more than moderate improvement in objective assessment, compared with none in group A and two patients (12.5%) in group B. There were no significant side effects. Topical application of linoleic acid is considered to be effective in the treatment of melasma patients.
Administration, Topical ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Betamethasone 17-Valerate/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Combinations ; Female ; Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Korea ; Lincomycin/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Linoleic Acid/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Melanosis/*drug therapy/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Structure ; Ointments

Administration, Cutaneous ; Administration, Topical ; Betamethasone Valerate ; therapeutic use ; China ; Clobetasol ; therapeutic use ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; epidemiology ; Ethnic Groups ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; epidemiology ; India ; Lichen Planus ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Triamcinolone ; therapeutic use