Halobetasol propionate cream by day and halobetasol propionate ointment at night for the treatment of pediatric patients with chronic, localized plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

Efficacy and safety of treatments for childhood psoriasis: A systematic literature review

“…Mild skin atrophy, erythema, and depigmentation were described after a treatment period of 2 weeks. 14,15 Burning at the application site was also mentioned as a side effect. 14 Unfortunately, adrenal axis testing was not performed in these studies.…”

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Eight studies were excluded: two because there was no clear diagnosis of psoriasis, 7,8 one because of a vague description of treatment strategy, 9 3 because of the lack of an identified outcome measure, [10][11][12] one because of a concomitant HIV infection, 16 and one because of the use of an antipsoriatic combination therapy. 13 Herz et al 15 (LOE 4) published an open-label study on halobetasol cream 0.05%. In 72.7% of patients, lesions healed after 2 weeks of treatment.…”

Pediatric Psoriasis Revisited

“…Only calcipotriol 10 and a few topical corticosteroids 11 have undergone randomized controlled studies in children under the age of 12. The use of other antipsoriatic treatments in children is based on adult psoriasis studies, case reports, retrospective analysis, open studies, and personal experience of pediatric dermatologists.…”

“…A clinical improvement of 70%±80% was noted in a 3-week trial with halobetasone cream during the day and halobetasone ointment at night. 11 Due to the risk of suppressing the hypothalamic±pituitary±adrenal (HPA) axis, long-term use and the use of high-potency topical corticosteroids should be avoided or used sparingly in children.…”

“…11 The use of the other antipsoriatic treatments is based on case reports, on studies from adults, and from personal experience with the various treatments.…”