ABSTRACT
Only a handful of studies exist that evaluate the effi cacy of topical corticosteroids in treating ICD in humans using controlled quantitative experimentation (see Table 50.1). Van der Valk and Maibach (1989) studied the effects of several topical corticosteroids on ICD in man, including clobetasol-17-dipropionate, hydrocortisone 1%, and triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS; 0.36%) was used to induce a uniform dermatitis on the volar forearms of 17 otherwise healthy subjects. Application for 45 min of occlusive patches twice daily for a total of 3 weeks produced a cumulative irritant dermatitis. Immediately upon removal of the fi rst patch of the day, 0.088 g/cm2 of corticoids were openly applied onto the irritated skin. Utilizing both a visual grading scale for erythema and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) to assess the irritation, the study found no signifi cant effect of corticosteroid application when compared with vehicle-treated skin. In fact, TEWL increased slightly upon clobetasol application.
