Comparison of efficacy and safety of topical betamethasone valerate 0.1% with narrowband-UVB in atopic dermatitis
Keywords:
Atopic dermatitis, betamethasone Valerate 0.1%, efficacy, NB-UVB, safetyAbstract
Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of topical betamethasone valerate 0.1% with narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) therapy in atopic dermatitis. Method Sixty patients with AD fulfilling the inclusion criteria were entered in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group A were given betamethasone valerate 0.1% twice a day for 4 weeks. Group B were given NB-UVB thrice a week for 8 weeks. Starting dose was 75% of minimal erythema dose (MED) for the skin type III and IV. Dose was increased by 20% on each visit as tolerated by the patients. During treatment patients were assessed at 2nd and 4th week for betamethasone valerate and 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th week for NB-UVB. Results 84% patients in group A (betamethasone) showed >50% reduction in Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) whereas 94% patients in group B (NB-UVB) showed >50% reduction in SCORAD (p=0.554). Side effects were seen in 34% patients in group A and 20% in group B. Conclusion Both betamethasone valerate 0.1% and NB-UVB are almost equal in terms of efficacy but NB-UVB is more safe than betamethasone valerate 0.1%.References
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