Tacrolimus Ointment in Periorbital Atopic Dermatitis

Alzahrani M, Kamal Y F, Akram M A. Tacrolimus Ointment in Periorbital Atopic Dermatitis. Cureus 16(1): e53055. doi:10.7759/cureus.53055

Abstract

Periorbital atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common sign in ophthalmological practice and usually has a persistent and relapsing course. Treatment with topical corticosteroids has various side effects associated with their usage. Tacrolimus topical ointment has unique immunomodulatory properties that decrease skin inflammation and pruritus in AD. In this case series, we present a prospective case series of five patients (three males and two females) who received topical application of tacrolimus ointment 0.1-0.03% in the periorbital area twice daily for one to four weeks. The pre- and post-treatment images of all patients were recorded to compare the effects of the treatment. The cases were selected from patients attending the outpatient clinics of East Jeddah Hospital, Saudi Arabia. All patients were suffering from AD. Patients underwent a clinical assessment by tactile inspection (location, size, color, and surface condition) in the first week, second week, third month, and first year. We may conclude from this study that tacrolimus showed promising outcomes and is safe and effective for the treatment of flares or resistant periorbital AD in both adults and children.

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