Abstract
Purpose: :
Given the inherent thinness of eyelid skin, the association between corticosteroid use and skin thinning is an important consideration when treating inflammatory eyelid disease. This study reports the development of a topical cream for the effective delivery of corticosteroids at markedly reduced application concentrations.
Methods: :
Using the Franz diffusion cell with cadaver skin, the rate of penetration of Hytone®, a 1% hydrocortisone cream, was compared with a 1% hydrocortisone–supplemented anionic polar phospholipid (APP) cream containing phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and diphosphotidylglycerol. Penetration rates were evaluated at 4 and 8 hrs.
Results: :
Hydrocortisone penetration for Hytone® cream was 13 ng/cm2 at 4 hrs and 98 ng/cm2 at 8 hrs, whereas the values for the supplemented APP skin cream were 1180 ng/cm2 at 4 hrs and 2173 ng/cm2 at 8 hrs. This translates into a 75 times greater and a 20 times greater penetration of hydrocortisone–supplemented APP cream over the Hytone® cream at 4 hrs and 8 hr time points, respectively.
Conclusions: :
This study demonstrates enhanced penetration of hydrocortisone when applied topically in an APP skin cream vehicle. It also illustrates the potential use of APP technology to deliver effective hydrocortisone treatment at reduced, and thus safer, steroid doses. As such, APP technology may offer an improved approach to the treatment of dermatoses associated with inflammatory eyelid disease and conditions requiring prolonged topical corticosteroid therapy.
Keywords: eyelid • inflammation • corticosteroids