Abstract: AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and the safety of betamethasone neomycin ointment in treatment of patients with subacute eczema.METHODS: The clinical trial was performed on patients with limited, subacute eczema by a randomized double-blind method.Hydrocortisone neomycin ointment was chosen as controls.RESULTS: There were 45 patients involved in this study, including 23 patients in betamethasone neomycin ointment group and 22 patients in hydrocortisone neomycin ointment group.The total integra decrease of betamethasone neomycin ointment group [12.26 ±2.42 to 5.61 ±2.23 (d 7), 2.83 ±2.06 (d 14) ] was better than that of hydrocortisone neomycin ointment group [13.18 ±2.28 to 9.18 ±3.72(d 7), 6.82 ±3.46(d 14) ] on the 7th and 14th day after the treatment (P<0.01).The total effective rate of betamethasone neomycin ointment group (86.96 %) was higher than that of hydrocortisone neomycin ointment group (31.82 %, P<0.01).Nether located nor systemic side effects were found in both groups.CONCLUSION: Betamethasone neomycin ointment is an effective and easily tolerated agent for treatment of subacute eczema compared with hydrocortisone neomycin ointment.

Key words: betamethasone neomycin ointment, hydrocortisone neomycin ointment, subacute eczema, clinical trials