Betamethasone is a steroid medication. It is used for a number of diseases including rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, skin diseases such as dermatitis and psoriasis, allergic conditions such as asthma and angioedema, preterm labor to speed the development of the babys lungs, Crohns disease, cancers such as leukemia, and along with fludrocortisone for adrenocortical insufficiency, among others. It can be taken by mouth, injected into a muscle, or applied to the skin topically in cream, lotion, or liquid forms.Serious side effects include an increased risk of infection, muscle weakness, severe allergic reactions, and psychosis. Long-term use may cause adrenal insufficiency. Stopping the medication suddenly following long-term use may be dangerous. The cream commonly results in increased hair growth and skin irritation. Betamethasone belongs to the glucocorticoid class of medication. It is a stereoisomer of dexamethasone, the two compounds differing only in the spatial configuration of the methyl group at position 16 (see steroid nomenclature).Betamethasone was patented in 1958, and approved for medical use in the United States in 1961. The cream and ointment are on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. In the United States, the pills and injectable solutions are more expensive than the cream. Medical uses
Betamethasone is a corticosteroid that is available as a pill, by injection, and as an ointment, cream, lotion, gel, or aerosol (spray) for the skin, and a foam for the scalp.
They are generally composed of cells with small to slightly enlarged round nuclei with dark, compact nuclei and a small amount of eosinophilic cytoplasm. They are often referred to as "fried egg" cells due to their histologic appearance. They appear as a monotonous population of mildly enlarged round cells infiltrating normal brain parenchyma and producing vague nodules. Although the tumor may appear to be vaguely circumscribed, it is by definition a diffusely infiltrating tumor.Classically they tend to have a vasculature of finely branching capillaries that may take on a "chicken wire" appearance. When invading grey matter structures such as cortex, the neoplastic oligodendrocytes tend to cluster around neurons exhibiting a phenomenon referred to as "perineuronal satellitosis". Oligodendrogliomas may invade preferentially around vessels or under the pial surface of the brain.Oligodendrogliomas must be differentiated from the more common astrocytoma. Non-classical variants and combined tumors of both oligodendroglioma and astrocytoma differentiation are seen, making this distinction controversial between different neuropathology groups. Molecular diagnostics may make this differentiation obsolete in the future. Other glial and glioneuronal tumors with which they are often confused due to their monotonous round cell appearance include pilocytic astrocytoma, central neurocytoma, the so-called dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor, or occasionally ependymoma. Histopathological grading
The histopathologic grading of oligodendrogliomas is controversial. Currently, the most commonly used grading schema is based on the year 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. An updated classification is in progress. Oligodendrogliomas are generally dichotomized into grade II (low grade) tumor. Unfortunately, the WHO guidelines include subjective criteria in grade II.