Clinical evaluation on the long-term use of halometasone ointment in chronic eczema and psoriasis.

This clinical evaluation to determine the long-term therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of 0.05% halometasone ointment was carried out in fifty patients (forty-one with psoriasis and nine with chronic eczema) by seven dermatologists in Austria and Switzerland. The ages ranged from 19 to 76 years and the total duration of illness was more than 5 years in 62% of the trial population. The duration of treatment varied from 38 to 103 days (38-60 days in twenty-two patients, 61-90 days in twenty-five patients and 91-103 days in three patients). All patients received two non-occlusive applications of halometasone ointment per day. In this long-term study halometasone ointment exhibited very satisfactory therapeutic efficacy and very good tolerability. 'Good' to 'very good' results were reported in 73% and 89% of the patients with psoriasis and chronic eczema treated with halometasone ointment, respectively. Adverse effects were reported in only two (4%) patients who had transient itching at the site of application. Neither skin atrophy nor any systemic effect due to the transcutaneous systemic absorption of the corticoid was observed in this study, nor were any instances of contact skin allergy reported.