The comparative efficacy of betamethasone dipropionate cream and ointment formulations in the treatment of psoriasis.

A double-blind, multicentered, cooperative study performed by twelve investigators with 195 patients with chronic psoriasis was undertaken to compare the relative efficacy of betamethasone dipropionate in ointment and cream formulations. After one week of the two week study, those patients treated with the ointment preparation experienced a significantly greater decrease in the severity of psoriatic signs and symptoms and a greater frequency of complete remission. This study verifies vasoconstriction assay data and more rigorously supports the medical opinion that betamethasone dipropionate and possibly other corticoids in ointment formulation are superior to cream formulations in the early treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.