A clinical evaluation of prednisone in the treatment of dermatoses.

During the past few years there have been innumerable reports attesting to the efficacy of corticosteroids in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other so-called collagen diseases. Among newer compounds developed by Schering is prednisone (formerly called Metacortandracin). * It is reported to have three to five times the therapeutic effectiveness of oral hydrocortisone or cortisone and to have fewer side-reactions; sodium retention and excessive potassium depletion are less frequent. With the introduction of each new synthetic corticosteroid, clinical investigators study its efficacy in the treatment of skin diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prednisone in the treatment of a variety of dermatoses. The study was so designed that the first patients treated were those with dermatoses who had responded well to cortisone or hydrocortisone therapy but in whom one or another side-effect, such as water retention, hypertension, moon facies, buffalo hump, and generalized