Comparative efficacy and safety of the combination of betamethasone dipropionate and calcipotriene with topical betamethasone dipropionate and calcipotriene alone in the treatment of localized vitiligo

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of topical calcipotriol ointment (0.005%) and betamethasone dipropionate (0.05%) cream, given alone and in combination, in treatment of localized vitiligo. Methods: It was a clinical trial conducted from January 2012 to August 2012. Patients of localized vitiligo attending outpatient department of Dermatology and Venereology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka were the study population. In group A, 20 patients applied betamethasone dipropionate cream 0.05% in the morning and topical calcipotriene ointment (0.005%) in the evening, in group B, 20 patients applied betamethasone dipropionate cream 0.05% twice daily; In group C, 20 patients used calcipotriene ointment 0.005%. Results: in The vitiligo score in group A, B and C reduced from 26, 25 and 23, respectively to 3, 8 and 6 (p 0.05). The side effects experienced by patients at 5th follow-up were: in group A erythema (15%), dryness (15%), scaling (5%) and pruritus (5%); in group B, erythema (15%), scaling (5%), dryness (5%) and pruritus (5%); and in group C, erythema (10%) [p=0.005]. Conclusion: Both the drugs, calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate when used individually as monotherapy, were found to be equally effective in the treatment of vitiligo, but the combination of the two was found to be superior in efficacy. Regarding safety level, calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate when used individually, were found to be safer in the treatment of vitiligo, than the combination of the two.