New research suggests a petrolatum and panthenol-based ointment (HO) was as effective as 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in urea cream (TAU) in reducing the severity of mild-to-moderate chronic hand eczema (CHE).
Researchers included 30 patients with mild-to-moderate CHE who applied HO to one hand and TAU to the other twice daily for 28 days. The primary study endpoint was the Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI), with secondary endpoints included transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and stratum corneum hydration (SCH). An evaluator-blinded design was employed to minimize bias, and measurements were taken at baseline, 14 days, and 28 days.
Both treatments significantly reduced HECSI scores, with reductions of 74.72% for HO and 77.36% for TAU. There were no significant differences in the primary outcome. HO outperformed TAU in secondary outcomes, with statistically significant improvements in TEWL and SCH, indicating better skin barrier restoration and hydration. The authors did not report adverse effects for either treatment. Study limitations included the small sample size and short duration, which may restrict the generalizability of results to broader CHE populations.
"The HO moisturizer containing anti-inflammatory ingredients is non-inferiority to TAU and yields a significant efficacy in mild-to-moderate CHE treatment, with a statistically significance in various parameters, including HECSI, DLQI, VAS, and hemoglobin index," the authors wrote. "Importantly, there is a significantly improvement of TEWL and SCH only in the HO treated side, but not the TAU treated side, when compared to baseline. In particular, no severe or irreversible complications, such as skin atrophy, telangiectasia, and hypopigmentation, are reported throughout the study period. Hence, HO can be an optional treatment of long-term CHE for the avoidance of adverse impacts from high potency corticosteroids and skin moisture improvement."
Source: Lueangarun S, et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2025;18(2):38–43.