Assay of Topical Corticosteroids by Suppression of Experimental Inflammation in Humans

Formulated corticosteroids were assayed on human skin using as a measure of anti-inflammatory activity the suppression of blisters produced by kerosene and pustules provoked by croton oil. Vascoconstriction activity was evaluated at the same time.The rank order of anti-inflammatory efficacy corresponded reasonably well with clinical judgements of comparative effectiveness although the ranking was not always the same for the identical steroid in the two models. With some steroids ointments were superior to creams while the reverse was true for other. Vasoconstriction generally correlated with anti-inflammatory activity but strong exceptions occurred