Atopic dermatitis -- topical therapy: do patients apply much too little?

The treatment of atopic dermatitis still remains a challenge. Little research has been done on the issue of the extent to which patients correctly use prescribed topical preparations under everyday conditions.

To investigate what quantity of topical preparations is applied by outpatients in daily routine treatment over a 26-week period and to what extent this consumption is related to the course of the severity of patients' skin conditions.

Thirty adult outpatients (20 female and 10 male) with atopic dermatitis were examined at four different times during 26 weeks. For treatment and skin care these patients were given a topical glucocorticoid preparation (prednicarbate) and the corresponding emollient.

The average severity rating (SCORAD) was 29.6 (before therapy 33.9, after 26 weeks 27.4). The SCORAD indices improved by a mean of 6.5 points (p<0.05).

Patients who applied the correct amount of the prednicarbate-containing preparations (not less than 90% of 0.5 g/dm(2)) to the areas of affected skin showed a significant improvement in SCORAD indices across the four measuring times.