Clinical comparison of desonide cream with fluocinonide cream in steroid-responsive dermatologic disorders.

Desonide, a nonfluorinated topical corticosteriod, was compared with fluocinonide, a potent fluorinated steroid, in identical concentrations, in the treatment of various steroid-responsive dermatologic disorders. In treatment comparisons, the group treated with desonide showed significantly (p less than 0.05) better erythema and scaling scores after the first week than did those in the fluocinonide group, but the two week scores were not significantly different. Although 5 percent of patients treated with fluocinonide had adverse reactions, no such reactions were observed in the desonide-treated group.