The efficacy of betamethasone butyrate propionate lotion for treatment of atopic dermatitis on the trunk and limbs

Improving treatment adherence in atopic dermatitis patients has been highlighted as a major issue by the Clinical Practice Japanese Guidelines for the Management of Atopic Dermatitis 2016. Lotion formulations have gained attention for superior sensation on application, and we hypothesized that switching from ointments to lotions would contribute to improved treatment adherence. This study investigated the efficacy, safety, and sensation on application of betamethasone butyrate propionate lotion and the treatment adherence during continuous eight-week monitoring of patients who switched from a steroid ointment of the same class '( very strong'steroids), for external use on the trunk and limbs. Switching to betamethasone butyrate propionate lotion yielded significant improvements in the severity scoring of atopic dermatitis index, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine levels, visual analog scale scores, lack-of-sleep index, and dermatology quality of life index. Questionnaire responses revealed high ratings for the sensation on application, suggesting that the lotion contributed to improved adherence. The results of this study indicate that switching to a lotion may be an effective option for the treatment of atopic dermatitis on the trunk and limbs.