THREE-WAY THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF TAR-STEROID CREAM

The antipruritic and antieczematic activity of coal tar as a local therapeutic agent has long been recognized. Response, observed by us and by others, in patients with chronic dermatoses (such as psoriasis and neurodermatitis circumscripta [lichen chronicus simplex]) to the tar cream, Tarbonis (5% refined alcoholic extract of crude coal tar, lanolin and menthol, incorporated in a nongreasy vanishing cream base) has been favorable; response to the same cream (and to other creams and ointments containing various forms of coal tar) in patients with acute inflammatory dermatoses, has been unfavorable. Evaluation of ointments containing hydrocortisone 1 convinced us that, in spite of their effectiveness, they are not satisfactory substitutes for therapy with crude coal tar. We found that hydrocortisone, when inadequate alone, constitutes a valuable adjunct to therapy if it is combined with appropriate antibacterial and antieczematic agents. We reported that the 0.5% concentration of hydrocortisone is equally effective as