Local treatment of psoriasis with desoxymethasone and betamethasone 17,21-dipropionate: a double-blind comparison.

A double-blind comparison of the effectiveness of 0.25% desoxymethasone and 0.05% betamethasone 17,21-dipropionate creams was carried out in 40 patients with symmetrical, chronic psoriatic lesions. The lesions were pre-treated for 1 week with an inactive cream base and then the trial preparations were applied, without occlusion, to one or other side at random twice daily for 21 days. Overall response to treatment and the effect of the two topical steroids on scaling, induration, erythema, and pruritus were assessed at the start of and 4, 7, 14, and 21 days after the start of active treatment. The results indicated a better but not statistically significant response to desoxy-methasone. By the end of the trial period, the desoxymethasone-treated side was better in 22.5% of cases compared with 10% of cases in the betamethasone dipropionate-treated side. No side-effects of treatment were observed.