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Dermatitis - contact - Management
What are the adverse effects of topical corticosteroids and how can they be managed?
- When used correctly, topical corticosteroids rarely cause serious adverse effects.
- The likelihood of adverse effects is directly related to the potency and amount of topical corticosteroids used — a thin layer should be applied once or twice a day, adjusting the potency to control symptoms.
- Systemic adverse effects are rare but include adrenal suppression that can result in symptoms of Cushing's syndrome and in children, growth retardation.
- Local adverse effects are more common:
- Transient burning or stinging is most common and may necessitate changing the product.
- Of more concern is skin atrophy, which is particularly common in the skin of the antecubital or popliteal fossae.
- Hypertrichosis, telangiectasia (especially on cheeks), acne, and steroid-induced contact dermatitis may also occur.
In depth
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