Clobetasol Propionate, 0.05%, vs Hydrocortisone, 1%, for Alopecia Areata in Children

    November 2013 in “ JAMA dermatology ”
    Patsy Lenane, Colin Macarthur, Patricia C. Parkin, Bernice R. Krafchik, Julie DeGroot, Amina Khambalia, Elena Pope
    From the encyclopedia
    Hydrocortisone →

    a synthetic cortisol used for anti-inflammatory effects

    Alopecia Areata →

    autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

    Studysummary This study found that topical clobetasol propionate cream was more effective than hydrocortisone cream in reducing hair loss surface area in children with patchy alopecia areata over 24 weeks, with no serious adverse effects. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    This study compared the efficacy and safety of clobetasol propionate, 0.05%, cream versus hydrocortisone, 1%, cream in treating pediatric alopecia areata over 24 weeks with 41 children aged 2 to 16. Clobetasol significantly reduced the scalp surface area with hair loss compared to hydrocortisone (P < .001), with 85% of children in the clobetasol group experiencing at least a 50% reduction in hair loss versus 33.3% in the hydrocortisone group. One patient experienced temporary skin atrophy. The study concluded that clobetasol is an effective and safe first-line treatment for limited patchy childhood alopecia areata.
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