원저 : 접촉 피부염 환자에서 모메타손 크림의 피부 장벽 기능에 미치는 영향에 대한 평가

Background: It is unclear how the usage of topical steroid agents affects skin barrier function. Objective: In order to follow up on previous research into this topic, we sought to investigate the effects of a 3-week application of topical mometasone cream on the alteration of skin barrier function. Methods: Twenty-six patients who had been clinically diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis were enrolled. Topical mometasone cream was applied to the skin lesions. Clinical symptoms, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), corneometer unit, and pH value were measured on the initial visit, 1 week after treatment, and 3 weeks after treatment, and their values were compared. Results: Clinical symptoms showed improvement after topical mometasone cream was applied (p＜0.05), but changes in TEWL, corneometer units, and pH values failed to show statistical significance (p＞0.05). Conclusion: This study found that treatment with topical mometasone cream for 3 weeks has no effect on skin barrier function. We believe that this research will help determine the optimal duration and dosage of topical steroid agents used for treating allergic contact dermatitis. (Korean J Dermatol 2015;53(5):347∼350)