Hydrocortisone 1% cream and sertaconazole 2% cream to treat facial seborrheic dermatitis: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Background: Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic dermatitis with periods of remission and relapse that requires long-term treatment. Objective: We compared the efficacy and safety of treatment with sertaconazole with standard corticosteroid medications in adults with facial SD. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 60 patients with a diagnosis of SD were enrolled. Patients were instructed to apply either sertaconazole 2% cream (30 patients) or hydrocortisone 1% cream (30 patients) twice daily to the affected area of the face. The severity of facial SD was assessed at 0, 2, and 4 weeks of treatment. Secondary efficacy measures included patient assessment of seborrhea, adverse events, and improvement percentage (IP). Results: SD lesions cleared significantly (p .05). Both treatments resulted in significant improvement of SD lesions and the rate of adverse events was similar in both groups. The IP was higher for treatment with hydrocortisone in Week 2 and similar in both groups at the end of the study. Limitations: Limitations include the small number of patients who were recruited for this study and the lack of evaluation of time to relapse. Conclusion: Treatment with topical sertaconazole may be regarded as a substitute for topical corticosteroid medications due to the fewer adverse events and similar efficacy.