CONTROLLED EVALUATION OF 0.05-PERCENT DESONIDE LOTION AND DESONIDE CREAM IN PSORIASIS

A new lotion formulation of 0.05% desonide was compared with its vehic le and with 0.05% desonide cream in a double-blind, randomized, parall el study in the treatment of psoriasis. Eighty patients with mild to m oderate psoriasis, normally treatable with a low-potency topical corti costeroid, were enrolled in the study. All treatments were applied thr ee times daily for up to 3 weeks, with weekly examinations. In both th e lotion and cream treatment groups, 93% of patients completed the stu dy. Only 75% of patients in the vehicle group completed the study. The re was no statistically significant difference between the lotion and the cream at any of the three visits. Both treatments were well tolera ted by the patients. Only 3 of 80 patients reported mild irritation, c onsisting of two cases of transient stinging and one of erythema witho ut symptoms. Both active treatment groups showed significant improveme nt from baseline and over the vehicle group, reached a global improvem ent of 50% to 75% by weeks 2 and 3 compared with <50% improvement for the vehicle. The new lotion formulation of desonide is equivalent in b oth efficacy and safety to a 0.05% cream formulation and is convenient to apply over extended areas of the body.