ABSTRACT
The first report on the efficacy of topical steroids became available in 1952, when compound F (i.e. hydrocortisone) was documented to be effective in various dermatoses including the treatment of atopic eczema.1 Five decades of clinical documentation and the experience of many doctors have proven the usefulness of topical steroids, which together with emollients today still are the ‘gold standard’ of treatment for atopic eczema. Although hundreds of trials have shown their efficacy, most have been limited to a treatment period of up to 4 weeks, and long-term trials are remarkably few.
