Comparison of sertaconazole 2% cream versus hydrocortisone 1% ointment in the treatment of atopic dermatitis

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease. Topical corticosteroids as the mainstay of treatment have many side effects, both cutaneous and systemic. Sertaconazole is an antifungal cream with anti-inflammatory, antipruritic and antistaphylococcal activity. In this study, the authors compare the effect of hydrocortisone ointment and sertaconazole cream in the treatment of AD. Materials and methods: This study was a double-blind bilateral comparison study. Forty-five patients applied sertaconazole 2% cream twice daily on one side of the body and hydrocortisone 1% ointment twice daily on the opposite side for 1 month. The authors used a modified SCORAD score to assess the severity of the disease before and after therapy. Results: There was no significant difference between the two drugs in decreasing erythema, swelling, crust, scratch marks, lichenification, xerosis and pruritus (p = 1, 1, 0.82, 0.625, 0.761, 0.125, 0.54, respectively). Sertaconazole was significantly better in decreasing the total score (p = 0.023). In terms of patients' overall idea about the drugs, sertaconazole was significantly superior to hydrocortisone (p = 0.023). Conclusion: The study showed that sertaconazole was significantly better in decreasing the total score of the disease and patients' ideas. There was no significant difference between the two drugs regarding each sign by itself. Sertaconazole could be a safe and efficient treatment in AD.