title: Comparison of skin atrophy and vasoconstriction due to mometasone furoate, methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Topical glucocorticoids with improved benefit/risk ratio are of great interest in dermatology, but there are very few trials directly comparing the efficacy and side-effects of these new preparations. In our study the vasoconstrictor effect and side-effects of two of these new glucocorticoids were evaluated and blanching effect was determined by two-dimensional laser scanning.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomised, double blind intra-individual comparative trial, 10 subjects were treated with various glucocorticoids or drug-free vehicle. The test drugs were mometasone furoate (MF), methylprednisolone aceponate (MP) and hydrocortisone (OH-C). The preparations were tested for a period of 3 weeks with occlusion on the flexor side of the forearm. Skin thickness and vasoconstriction were determined using 20 MHz ultrasound scanning, laser Doppler scanning (LDS) and chromometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No adverse effects were observed during the observation period. Only partial vasoconstriction occurred in most cases during the observation period. MP and MF produced maximal blanching between days 3 and 5 of treatment, while with OH-C clinically visible blanching did not occur. Ultrasound evaluation of skin thickness showed similar behaviour for all three steroids tested: there were no signs of skin atrophy in any of the cases. LDS evidenced hypoperfusion of a test area on the perfusion image in only a few patients and there were no significant differences between the steroids tested. On evaluation of vasoconstriction caused by the steroids tested using chromometry there was a significant difference between MF and OH-C on the L*a*b* scale (P < 0.005). Only at day 3 was a blanching effect caused by MP and MF demonstrable (a-value, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, the synthetic steroids MF and MP presented side-effects similar to those of OH-C but much greater vasoconstrictor effect; after an application period of over 5 days under occlusion a blanching effect in our model was not demonstrable by means of chromometry. Two-dimensional laser scanning offers no advantage in the evaluation of the blanching effect in comparison to one-dimensional laser fluxmetry (LDF).
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ruhr University, Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Auer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stücker
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Altmeyer
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate; D011244:Pregnadienediols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011244:Pregnadienediols; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D008775:Methylprednisolone