Clinical evaluation of short-term efficacy of pimecrolimus in the treatment of children suffering from atopic dermatitis

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin diseases in children. Treatment of AD is often a big problem both for patients and physicians, and requires their close cooperation. The main anti-inflammatory treatment of AD is based on topical glucocorticosteroids, which are associated with a high risk of side effects. Calcineurin inhibitors are new topical medications available for the treatment of AD patients.
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the short-term effectiveness of pimecrolimus 1% cream in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children.
Material and methods: The study was performed in a group of 40 children with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. Pimecrolimus 1% cream was applied twice a day on the affected skin. At every visit the extent and severity of skin changes were evaluated according to EASI. The intensity of pruritis and sleep disturbances were evaluated on a 10-point scale.
Results: The baseline of the study was mean EASI value of 12.0 and after 3 days of treatment EASI value decreased to 5.9. There was also an improvement in pruritis intensity from 6.2 to 3.2 and in sleep disturbances from 4.5 to 2.1. The differences were statistically significant.
Conclusions: The results show that pimecrolimus 1% cream is highly effective in the treatment of AD children. There was a statically significant improvement in the clinical condition of patients and a reduction in severity of symptoms (pruritis and sleep disturbances) after 3 days of treatment.