In a double blind trial o-i% hydrocortisone butyrate cream gave after a week a significantly better therapeutic response in eczema than 01'^',, triamcinolone acetonide (P<005) and hydrocortisone acetate. The methods for clinical trials are discussed.In a previous paper (Polano et al., 1970) the results of a clinical trial were discussed, comparing oi"J, hydrocoitisf ne bur/rate (HB)* with a 01% triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and 1% hydrocortisone acetate (KAj, all three in an o/w cream applied under plastic occlusion, in patients with psoriasis. Now we ai: able to report on a trial comparing these three corticosteroids applied without occlusionî n eczema METHOD Because patiet : with symmetrical eczema lesions are rare in our in-patient department, we decided not to use the n h id of paired comparisons but to treat alternate patients with one of the three drugs.We admitted to :he trial out-patients suffering from neurodermatitis, seborrhoeic eczema, or unspecified eczema '^eczema vulgare) deliberately excluding patients with allergic contact dermatitis. Patients who had been treated with potent corticosteroids in the last month before the trial were also excluded.The patients were provided with a supply of cream for 2 weeks, in tubes containing 01",, HB or oi'^'o TA or 1% HA cream, labelled with randomized code numbers.The condition of the path its was evaluated at the beginning of the trial, after a week, and after 2 weeks. Score points ranging from 5 to 0 were given separately for itching, lichcnification, infiltration, erythema, exudation, crusts, scales, vesicles and papules, a score of 5 indicating severe involvement, and 0 absence of the symptom or sign.
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