***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: C48.401-Ba cream , containing 0·05 % halomethasone * was compared in a double-blind between- patients trial with a cream containing 0·1 % betamethasone valerate * * in forty-eight patients suffering from atopic dermatitis and in thirty-nine patients suffering from seborrhoeic dermatitis . A similar comparison was made with ointments containing the same concentration of active ingredient in forty-six patients suffering from atopic dermatitis . Both ointments were also compared in a within-patient double-blind trial in thirty patients suffering from psoriasis . The analysis of the results showed that for the treatment of the above-mentioned dermatoses , both drugs , the cream as well as the ointment , are equally effective and well tolerated Seborrheic dermatitis ( SD ) , a common dermatosis associating hyperseborrhea , erythema , itching , and d and ruff , has frequent scalp involvement . Malassezia furfur infection seems to play an important role in the condition 's etiopathology . Treatment of SD usually consists of corticosteroids or antifungals , such as ketoconazole . The aim of this multicenter , r and omized , investigator-blinded , parallel-group pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of clobetasol propionate shampoo 0.05 % after different short-contact application times compared with its vehicle and ketoconazole foaming gel 2 % in the treatment of SD of the scalp . For 4 weeks , 55 subjects received one of the following treatments twice weekly : clobetasol propionate shampoo for 2.5 , 5 , or 10 minutes ; clobetasol propionate vehicle for 10 minutes ; or ketoconazole foaming gel for 5 minutes before rinsing off . Efficacy criteria included total severity score ( TSS ) and individual scores of signs such as itching and global improvement . Safety included reporting of burning , overall tolerance , and adverse events . Results showed that an application of clobetasol propionate for 5 and 10 minutes provided a similar mean percentage decrease of TSS , and the mean percentage decrease of TSS for all active groups was significantly superior to that of the vehicle ( P < .01 ) . Overall and local safety were good for all treatment groups . The present pilot study demonstrated that a short-contact application of clobetasol propionate shampoo is effective and safe in the treatment of SD of the scalp Sixty-two patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis were treated topically with a 2 % ketoconazole foaming gel or with a 0.05 % betamethasone dipropionate lotion in a single-blind study for 4 months . Changes in the number of Pityrosporum ovale were scored by a mycologist . The investigator rated the severity of erythema , scaling and itching of the patients ' scalp , eyelashes , nasolabial folds and thorax . In addition , both the investigator and the patients evaluated the treatments globally . At the end of treatment , the response rate for ketoconazole 2 % foaming gel was significantly higher than that for betamethasone dipropionate 0.05 % lotion according to the global evaluation by the physician ( 89 vs. 62 % , p less than 0.05 ) and the patient ( 89 vs. 65 % , p less than 0.05 ) . Ketoconazole was also superior to betamethasone with reference to the evolution of the symptoms , irrespective of their localization . This efficacy manifested itself by a significant reduction of the number of P. ovale on the scalp in the ketoconazole group ( p less than 0.001 ) compared to the betamethasone group , in which the count was hardly changed during therapy . The treatment was also better tolerated in the ketoconazole group ( 5 vs. 16 patients with side-effects , p less than 0.001 ) . It is concluded that ketoconazole 2 % foaming gel offers an excellent alternative to local corticosteroids in the treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis The effectiveness of intermittent topical tacrolimus to prevent relapse in patients with stabilized facial seborrhoeic dermatitis has not been evaluated . The aim of this study was to determine whether proactive use of 0.1 % tacrolimus ointment can keep adult facial seborrhoeic dermatitis in remission . A total of 75 patients who had stabilized facial seborrhoeic dermatitis after 2 weeks ' ( open-label induction ) treatment with 0.1 % tacrolimus  were r and omized in a double-blind fashion to treatment with 0.1 % tacrolimus once a week , twice a week , or vehicle twice a week , for 10 weeks ( maintenance ) . Significant improvement in erythema , scaling and pruritus compared with baseline was maintained during the maintenance phase in both tacrolimus groups , but not in the vehicle group . The mean recurrence rate according to global assessment was significantly higher in the tacrolimus once-weekly group than in the twice-weekly group . In conclusion , twice-weekly treatment with 0.1 % tacrolimus ointment had superior effects in keeping facial seborrhoeic dermatitis in remission Seventy-two patients with seborrheic dermatitis were treated once daily with 2 % ketoconazole cream ( n = 36 ) or 1 % hydrocortisone cream ( n = 36 ) on a double-blind basis for 4 weeks . For the global evaluation , no significant difference could be seen between the two groups . The clinical response was 80.5 % in the ketoconazole group and 94.4 % in the hydrocortisone group . For the different symptoms combined ( scaling , redness , itching , and papules ) , no significant difference was seen between the two groups when the total scores at week 2 and at week 4 were compared with the initial scores . The incidence of side effects in both groups was comparably low Hair shedding and hair thinning have been reported to be affected by d and ruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis . The present study was conducted in 150 men presenting with telogen effluvium related to and rogenic alopecia associated with d and ruff . They were r and omly allocated to three groups receiving each one of the three shampoos in the market containing either 1 % ketoconazole ( KTZ ) , 1 % piroctone olamine ( PTO ) or 1 % zinc pyrithione ( ZPT ) . Shampoos had to be used 2 - 3 times a week for 6 months . Hair shedding during shampoo was evaluated semiquantitatively . Hair density on the vertex was evaluated on photographs using a Dermaphot . Trichograms were used for determining the anagen hair percentage and the mean proximal hair shaft diameter using computerized image analysis . The sebum excretion rate ( SER , mug cm(-2 ) h(-1 ) ) was also measured using a Sebumeter . The three treatments cleared pruritus and d and ruff rapidly . At end point , hair density was unchanged , although hair shedding was decreased ( KTZ : -17.3 % , PTO : -16.5 % , ZPT : -10.1 % ) and the anagen hair percentage was increased ( KTZ : 4.9 % , PTO : 7.9 % , ZPT : 6.8 % ) . The effect on the mean hair shaft diameter was contrasted between the three groups of volunteers ( KTZ : 5.4 % , PTO : 7.7 % , ZPT : -2.2 % ) . In conclusion , telogen effluvium was controlled by KTZ , PTO and ZPT shampoos at 1 % concentration . In addition , KTZ and PTO increased the mean hair shaft thickness while discretely decreasing the sebum output at the skin surface Background : The pathobiology of seborrheic dermatitis is rooted in a peculiar inflammatory reaction to Malassezia spp . Both topical corticosteroids and antifungals are routinely used with success , either singly or in combination . Objective : To assess the effect of a new combination therapy in this condition . Methods : Eighteen patients with facial seborrheic dermatitis were treated in a pilot double-blind trial with an anhydrous gel containing the combination of 2 % ketoconazole and 0.05 % desonide ( n = 9 ) or the unmedicated gel ( n = 9 ) . The products were applied once daily for 3 consecutive weeks . Disease severity was assessed at the start and weekly during treatment , as well as 2 , 4 and 8 weeks after the end of treatment or at the time of recurrence . The overall clinical assessment s were performed using a visual analogue scale . Objective measurements included squamometry X after harvesting the stratum corneum and the erythema index yielded by narrow-b and reflectance spectrophotometry . Data were evaluated in an intent-to-treat analysis . Results : The combination therapy yielded reductions in the overall clinical symptom severity of 49 , 84 and 92 % after 1 , 2 and 3 weeks of treatment , respectively . The corresponding improvements with the placebo gel were significantly smaller ( p < 0.01 ) , reaching 23 , 29 and 42 % at successive 1-week intervals . At the end of the 3-week treatment , the clinical signs had completely subsided in 6/9 patients treated with the medicated gel and in only 1/9 patients using the placebo gel . Thus , the clinical response rate was significantly faster ( p < 0.01 ) with the combination therapy than with the vehicle . Differences between the treatment groups using objective noninvasive assessment s were also significantly ( p < 0.01 ) in favor of the combination therapy . The squamometry X measurements showed 47 , 67 and 74 % improvements with the combination gel after 1 , 2 and 3 weeks , respectively . The corresponding values with the placebo gel were 34 , 46 and 53 % , respectively . The erythema index was almost completely reduced to normal at week 2 of treatment in contrast with about 50 % reduction with the unmedicated vehicle . None of the patients reported any side effects . Conclusion : The combination of ketoconazole with desonide in an anhydrous gel is well tolerated and proves to be significantly more effective than the vehicle for treating facial seborrheic dermatitis . The fast response to treatment and the limited additional improvement between weeks 2 and 3 of the treatment suggest that this combination product may be efficacious with once daily applications for 2 weeks . These data call for exp and ed studies comparing each single compound , the vehicle and the combination therapy The efficacy and safety of betamethasone dipropionate glycol cream 0.05 % and desoximetasone ointment 0.25 % were compared in a r and omized , double-blind study of 80 patients with resistant or severe corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses . Medication was applied to affected areas at a dosage of 3.5 grams twice daily for 14 days . In each treatment group , evaluation of efficacy was based on results in 35 patients and that of safety in 40 patients . Among betamethasone dipropionate glycol cream 0.05%-treated patients , signs and symptoms of dermatologic disease either cleared completely or markedly improved in 34/35 ( 97 % ) . Comparable responses were observed in 31/35 ( 89 % ) patients treated with desoximetasone ointment 0.25 % . Local tolerance to both study medications was excellent ; no adverse reactions occurred . Plasma cortisol reduction occurred in few patients ( 4 resp . 3 patients each group ) , however this effect was only transient and reversible Background : Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common , chronic , papulosquamous dermatosis . Treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis includes topical treatments such as corticosteroids , antifungals , metronidazole and pimecrolimus . Objective : This study aim ed to compare and contrast the efficacy and tolerability of pimecrolimus cream 1 % , methylprednisolone aceponate 0.1 % cream and metronidazole 0.75 % gel topical treatments in the treatment of facial seborrhoeic dermatitis . Methods : The study included a total of 64 ( 32 males and 32 females ) consecutive patients with facial seborrhoeic dermatitis . Patients were r and omized into three equal groups . One group applied pimecrolimus 1 % cream , another group applied methylprednisolone aceponate 0.1 % cream , and the third group applied metronidazole 0.75 % gel to their facial lesions twice daily for 8 weeks . Assessment of the disease severity was performed at baseline and at weeks 2 , 4 , and 8 . Clinical measures assessed were erythema , scaling and pruritus , which were evaluated using a four-point scale ( 0–3 ) . Results : Of the 64 patients , 17 ( 80 % ) in the metronidazole group , 21 ( 100 % ) in the pimecrolimus group and 22 ( 100 % ) in the methylprednisolone aceponate group completed the study . Four patients in the metronidazole group left the study . All of the therapeutic agents were found to be effective ; however , the efficacy of pimecrolimus was higher than those of metronidazole and methylprednisolone ( p < 0.05 ) . When side effects associated with pimecrolimus and metronidazole were compared , the latter was found to be associated with more side effects ( p < 0.05 ) . Conclusions : We suggest pimecrolimus to be a therapeutic option for seborrhoeic dermatitis cases that show an unfavourable response to methylprednisolone aceponate Background : Seborrheic dermatitis ( SD ) is a common , chronic inflammatory disease . Inflam 
    Output:
    
We found mild ( class I and II ) and strong ( class III and IV ) steroids comparable in the assessed outcomes , including adverse events .
Topical steroids are an effective treatment for  seborrhoeic dermatitis of the face and scalp in adolescents and adults , with no differences between mild and strong steroids in the short-term .
There is some evidence of the benefit of topical calcineurin inhibitor or lithium salt treatment .
Treatment with azoles seems as effective as steroids concerning short-term total clearance , but in other outcomes , strong steroids were more effective .
Calcineurin inhibitor and azole treatment appeared comparable .
Lithium salts were more effective than azoles in producing total clearance .
Steroids are similarly effective to calcineurin inhibitors but with less adverse effects .