Skin reactions to inhaled corticosteroids. Clinical aspects, incidence, avoidance, and management

Inhaled corticosteroids are considered by many to be the therapy of choice in the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Systemic adverse effects are well known and are mainly dose dependent. Adverse cutaneous effects have also been characterized. Some of them are frequent and dose dependent, for example thinning of the skin and easy bruising. These adverse effects are probably present in about half of the patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids. The risk of these adverse effects is more important among elderly people and increases with the duration of the treatment and the daily dosage. Thinning of the skin and easy bruising are probably dependent on collagen synthesis modifications. Among rare or underestimated reactions, several adverse effects have been described such as angina bullosa hemorrhagica, acne and allergy. In this latter case, the attention should be paid to relevant clinical signs such as eczematous lesions of the face and aggravation of the nasal symptoms. Mucocutaneous infections related to inhaled corticosteroid use have also been reported, the most frequent being candidiasis. However, the frequency of symptomatic clinical infection is very rare. The risk of viral infection, especially with a herpes virus, has never been described. As cutaneous complications of corticosteroids are mainly dose dependent, these adverse effects could be prevented by attention to the daily dosage. Infection could be prevented by rising the mouth after inhalation and the use of a spacer device. If cutaneous adverse effects occur despite proper use of the inhaled corticosteroids and became unpleasant for the patient, discussion with a pneumologist or otorhinolaryngologist may be required but temporary halting therapy is rarely useful.