title: The Clinical Efficacy of Mometasone Furoate in Multi-Lamellar Emulsion for Eczema: A Double-blinded Crossover Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Topical application of corticosteroids also has an influence on skin barrier impairment. Physiological lipid mixtures, such as multi-lamellar emulsion (MLE) containing a natural lipid component leads to effective recovery of the barrier function.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to conduct an evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy and skin barrier protection of topical mometasone furoate in MLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multi-center randomized, double-blind, controlled study was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of mometasone furoate cream in MLE for Korean patients with eczema. The study group included 175 patients with eczema, who applied either mometasone furoate in MLE cream or methylprednisolone aceponate cream for 2 weeks. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using the physician's global assessment of clinical response (PGA), trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pruritus. Patients were evaluated using these indices at days 4, 8, and 15.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of PGA score, TEWL, and VAS score at baseline with those at days 4, 8, and 15 of treatment showed a significant improvement in both groups. Patients who applied mometasone furoate in MLE (74.8%) showed better results (p<0.05) than those who applied methylprednisolone aceponate (47.8%). The TEWL improvement ratio was higher in the mometasone furoate in MLE group than that in the methylprednisolone aceponate group, and VAS improvement was also better in the mometasone furoate in MLE group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mometasone furoate in MLE has a better therapeutic efficacy as well as less skin barrier impairment than methylprednisolone aceponate.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon, Korea.
authors: Duk Han
authors: DH
authors: Kim
authors: Hyun Jong
authors: HJ
authors: Lee
authors: Chun Wook
authors: CW
authors: Park
authors: Kyu Han
authors: KH
authors: Kim
authors: Kwang Hoon
authors: KH
authors: Lee
authors: Byung In
authors: BI
authors: Ro
authors: Sang Hyun
authors: SH
authors: Cho
keywords: Ceramide; Corticosteroid; Eczema; Multi-lammelar emulsion; Skin-barrier