Systemic effects of 0.064% betamethasone dipropionate ointment and cream by simple application - with emphasis upon the suppression of adrenocortical functions.

Abstract

ABSTRACTForty‐six patients with various skin diseases applied 0.064% betamethasone dipropionate (BD) ointment and cream simply for 3 to 6 weeks, and serum cortisol, blood sugar, and peripherocirculatory eosinophyll counts were measured.Serum cortisol was almost unaffected by the application of BD ointment or cream at the rate of 10 g a day. After using between 10 and 20 g a day a reducing trend in cortisol levels was observed with BD ointment, but not with BD cream. When the application was increased to 20 g a day or more, a marked reduction was noted. This reduction was temporary and the serum cortisol returned to the normal level in no more than one week after the treatment. Peripherocirculatory eosinophyle counts decreased with application of even less than 10 g per day, and then markedly decreased further as the dose increased. Blood sugar was not increased by BD ointment or cream.Topical corticosteroid treatment is generally used by outpatients who usually receive less than 10 g of medication per day. Thus, it was presumed that, for outpatients, simple application of BD ointment or cream should not cause any systemic effects, and that, even if there were effects, they would only be slight, as far as suppression of adrenocortical functions was concerned.