Topical Corticosteroids in Dermatology: From Chemical Development to Galenic Innovation and Therapeutic Trends

Abstract

Topical corticosteroids are the cornerstone therapy for many inflammatory skin conditions. In recent decades, the development of new molecules with improved benefit/risk ratio and innovative galenic formulations has boosted the field of topical corticosteroid therapy. Alternative classifications of topical corticosteroids have been introduced taking into consideration the potential adverse effects of each molecule in order to provide useful information for clinical practice. Concurrently, new therapeutic regimens with topical corticosteroids have been proposed to provide longterm approaches for the management of chronic relapsing inflammatory skin diseases. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of topical corticosteroids focusing on the recent research performed in the fields of classification methods, galenic formulations and therapeutic strategies.