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A Past Controversy: A Cautionary Tale

Scott Michael Ravis, MD; William H. Eaglstein, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(3):413-415.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

It has been 25 years since topical hydrocortisone was approved for over-the-counter (OTC) sale to the public and 40 years since the American Academy of Dermatology's first committee to evaluate the proposal rejected OTC hydrocortisone as being too risky and hazardous for the public. Whenever a regulatory issue related to dermatology is likely to have an impact on the public at large, the need for organized dermatology to adopt a position, the mechanisms of so doing, and the likelihood of the position being proven correct over time remain the same. With that in mind, we review an issue that generated considerable controversy in its time and on which, in hindsight, organized dermatology proved to be on the wrong side.

Topical hydrocortisone cream was first found to be an effective therapy in 1952 when Sulzberger and Witten¹ used it to treat eczematous dermatitis. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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RELATED LETTERS

Allergic Contact Dermatitis: Another Adverse Effect of Over-the-counter Topical Hydrocortisone
Kalman L. Watsky and Erin M. Warshaw
Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(9):1217.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Allergic Contact Dermatitis: Another Adverse Effect of Over-the-counter Topical Hydrocortisone—Reply
William H. Eaglstein and Scott M. Ravis
Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(9):1217-1218.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

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Allergic Contact Dermatitis: Another Adverse Effect of Over-the-counter Topical Hydrocortisone
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Allergic Contact Dermatitis: Another Adverse Effect of Over-the-counter Topical Hydrocortisone Reply
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Arch Dermatol 2007;143:1217-1218.
FULL TEXT