Local steroid therapy and bacterial skin flora in atopic dermatitis

Summary A double‐blind, randomized trial was conducted to determine the influence of topical steroid therapy on atopic skin flora. The bacteriological and clinical effects of desonide (Locapred®), compared with those of its excipient, were studied in 40 children. Clinical scoring and bacteriological sampling were performed before the start of the trial and after 7 days of once‐daily topical treatment. Before treatment, no differences in clinical score or Staphylococcus aureus colonization were noted between the two groups. After treatment, the clinical score improved (P