AQUEOUS HYDROCORTISONE MOUTHWASH SOLUTION - CLINICAL-EVALUATION

Patients often experience difficulties in applying topical steroids in orabase to the oral mucosa, particularly when large areas need to be covered. An aqueous hydrocortisone mouthwash solution has been develop ed, one that was anticipated to be more acceptable to patients. The so lution contains hydrocortisone (0.3% w/v) in a 4.5% (w/v) 2-hydroxypro pyl-beta-cyclodestrin solution. Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (0.5% w/v ) was used to increase the viscosity of the solution and to promote th e hydrocortisone-cyclodextrin complex. One hundred and two patients wi th aphthous ulceration, lichen planus, and other mucosal conditions us ed the mouthwash in an open clinical efficacy study. Most patients rep orted some or considerable improvement following a 2-week course of tr eatment with the mouthwash: 26 of 33 (78.8%) patients with aphthous ul ceration were 'much better', as were 26 of 54 (48.1%) patients with li chen planus and 5 of 16 (31.3% patients with other mucosal lesions. No serious side effects were reported. Aqucous mouthwash solutions offer a potential vehicle for topical steroid therapy of oral mucosal lesio ns.