Evaluation of Desonide Cream

To the Editor.— In a recent letter (225:1658, 1973), ( Arch Dermatol 107:870-871, 1973) Kligman directed criticism at a double-blind evaluation that showed that 0.05% desonide cream, topically applied to inflammatory skin disorders, was as effective as 0.025% fluocinolone acetonide cream. He alleged that the doubleblind study had yielded a spurious result because (1) it had included too many skin diseases that respond too easily to treatment and (2) he concluded from his own unpublished observations that desonide was inferior to fluocinolone acetonide (both in unstated concentrations). Details of his study were not provided for objective scrutiny by the reader. Phillips et al 1 reported 0.05% desonide cream to be superior to 0.025% fluocinolone acetonide cream when applied to stabilized psoriasis, a disease that indeed does not respond easily to treatment. This report was based in part on our own testing of desonide on psoriasis via a study with a double-blind