Topical steroid therapy of atopic skin diseases.

The development of effective topical steroid preparations was a major advance in the therapy of atopic skin diseases. More recently, alterations in the hydrocortisone molecule have produced increasingly potent preparations with the associated risk of local and systemic side effects, including suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. When used judiciously as part of a carefully planned therapeutic regimen including emollients and, when indicated, antihistamines and antibiotics, topical steroids can play an important role in the management of atopic skin diseases.