A separation of clinical from epidermal thinning effect in the topical glucocorticoid clobetasone butyrate.

Clobetasone butyrate ointment has been shown to be more effective in treating psoriasis and eczema than flurandrenolone ointment yet to cause less epidermal thinning in a human experimental model. This is an indication that the clinical activity of topical glucocorticoids may not necessarily be inseparable from their propensity to cause atrophy of the skin.