Triamcinolone acetonide in the topical treatment of selected dermatoses, with special reference to the effectiveness of the 0.5 per cent concentration

The effectiveness of a 0.1 per cent triamcinolone acetonide cream was evaluated by the method of simultaneous and symmetrical paired comparison with 1 per cent hydrocortisone free alcohol in the same base applied topically by a selected group of patients with dermatoses usually benefited by local corticosteroid therapy. With few exceptions the triamcinolone acetonide 0.1 per cent cream proved to be as effective as the 1 per cent hydrocortisone and sometimes more so. In two other smaller but similarly carefully controlled series of patients, a cream and an ointment containing a higher concentration of triamcinolone acetonide, namely, 0.5 per cent, were compared with 0.1 per cent triamcinolone acetonide in the same cream and ointment bases. The preparations containing the higher concentration of triamcinolone acetonide appeared to be superior in many of the patients. The significance of these findings in relation to their use in practice is discussed.