Betamethasone dosage

The limited penetration of topical corticosteroids can be overcome in certain clinical circumstances by the intralesional injection of relatively insoluble corticosteroids, eg, triamcinolone acetonide, triamcinolone diacetate, triamcinolone hexacetonide, and betamethasone acetate-phosphate. When these agents are injected into the lesion, measurable amounts remain in place and are gradually released for 3-4 weeks. This form of therapy is often effective for the lesions listed in Table 61-2 that are generally unresponsive to topical corticosteroids. The dosage of the triamcinolone salts should be limited to 1 mg per treatment site, ie, 0.1 mL of 10 mg/mL suspension, to decrease the incidence of local atrophy (see below). 

A 38-year-old woman who had used inhaled beclo-methasone daily (dosage not stated) during the winter for the past 5 years for mild asthma, developed a perioral rash with numerous small pustules and papules. She stopped using beclomethasone and was treated with oral erythromycin and topical tretinoin. Her rash resolved within 4 weeks. One year later, she restarted beclomethasone and her rash reappeared after 2 weeks. There was no recurrence of her perioral dermatitis during subsequent treatment with monthly intramuscular injections of betamethasone. 

Chaw, C.S., Yang, Y.Y., Lim, I.J., and Phan, T.T., Water-soluble betamethasone-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) hollow microcapsules as a sustained release dosage form, J MicroencapsuL, 20 (3), 349-359, 2001. 

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