Topical mometasone furoate for vulvar lichen sclerosus.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and safety of treating vulvar lichen sclerosus with mometasone furoate, a synthetic analogue of beclomethasone.


METHODS
Thirty-one consecutive patients with biopsy-proven vulvar lichen sclerosus (LS) seen at the Florence Vulvar Clinic were entered into the study. Each subject's symptoms and the gross appearance of the lesions were recorded using a severity score according to the authors' previous studies. The patients were treated with a regimen of 0.1% mometasone furoate cream applications to the affected areas once daily for 4 weeks and then twice weekly for 8 weeks. After 12 weeks of treatment, the subjects were asked to rate the changes in their symptoms and were reevaluated by the same examiner for the gross appearance of the lesions. In every patient the before/after treatment total severity scores were compared using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test for statistical significance.


RESULTS
With mometasone furoate all the patients had a significant improvement (P < .001) in the gross aspects of the disease and a very dramatic decrease in symptoms (P < .001), with nearly all the subjects having complete symptomatic remission. Compliance was excellent, and no side effects were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The improved risk/benefit ratio of mometasone furoate may minimize the possible long-term side effects expected when using a very potent topical steroid. Therefore, momentasone furoate cream may be an alternative to clobetasol propionate for treatment of vulvar LS, with similar efficacy but higher levels of safety and tolerability.
Cattaneo
Antonio
A
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, of Dermatology and of Pathology, University of Florence, Careggi, Viale Morgagni 85, 50100 Florence, Italy.
De Magnis
Angelina
A
Botti
Elena
E
Sonni
Lorella
L
Carli
Paolo
P
Taddei
Gian Luigi
GL
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006801:Humans; D018459:Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate; D011244:Pregnadienediols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011244:Pregnadienediols; D000068656:Mometasone Furoate