A PILOT-STUDY ON THE EFFICACY OF MOMETASONE FUROATE FATTY CREAM ON CLINICAL-PARAMETERS, TIME TO RELAPSE AND MICROBIAL-FLORA IN ATOPIC-DERMATITIS

Aim To study the antimicrobial effect in vitro of hexylene glycol and mometasone furoate fatty cream (contains 12% hexylene glycol) and to s tudy the effect of mometasone furoate fatty cream on clinical paramete rs and microbial flora in patients with atopic dermatitis. Methods The effect of hexylene glycol and mometasone furoate fatty cream against Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pityrosporum ovale and Candida albicans was studied in vitro. Twenty patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis were treated with mometasone furoate 0.1% fatty cre am once daily for 3 weeks and then intermittently for 3 weeks, Quantit ative cultures for bacteria and fungi were taken at baseline, during t reatment and 4 weeks after end of treatment. Results Both hexylene gly col and mometasone furoate fatty cream were effective in vitro against the studied microorganisms. Thirteen of 18 patients who returned for control were cleared after 3 weeks of treatment and 15/18 patients or 83% were cleared after 6 weeks. Four weeks after end of treatment only one patient remained cleared. However, 11/14 patients who returned fo r this control were still improved compared to baseline. S. aureus was cultured in 16/20 patients at baseline but in only 7/18 patients afte r 6 weeks of treatment, The number of S. aureus dropped significantly but increased two-fold 4 weeks after end of treatment, The number of c ultured P. ovale was also significantly reduced after 6 weeks. Conclus ion This study clearly demonstrate the good effect of mometasone furoa te fatty cream, which contains 12% hexylene glycol, in the treatment o f atopic dermatitis paralleled by a significant reduction in the numbe r of S. aureus and P. ovale. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.