Background: Topical steroids are the most commonly prescribed topical medications for the treatment of psoriasis, eczema, lichen planus, vitiligo and dermatitis. Abuse of these topical steroids can lead to various adverse effects.

Aims: To study adverse effects of following topical corticosteroids: (a) Betamethasone valerate cream 0.05% (BV) (b) Betamethasone dipropionate cream 0.05% (BD) (c) Clobetasol propionate cream 0.05% (CP).

Methods and materials: Across sectional study of sixty five patients with side effects of topical steroids were studied in department of skin – VD, Tertiary care hospital from Jan 2010 to December 2010.

Statistics and Analysis: Mean, standard deviation

Results: Out of sixty five cases, eleven patients applied Betamethasone valerate 0.05%, three patients applied Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% and fifty three patients applied Clobetasol propionate 0.05%. Maximum numbers of cases were in age group more than thirty years. Thirty five were male and nineteen were female. In our study the most common condition for which steroid was applied was chronic eczema. The most common side effect was change in skin color on application of Clobetasol propionate 0.05%. The maximum side effects appeared after three months of application of topical steroid.

Conclusion: The most frequently applied steroid was Clobetasol propionate cream 0.05%. The most common condition for which steroid was applied is chronic eczema and adverse effect is hypopigmentation and depigmentation. In most of the patients adverse effects appeared after three months of steroid application.

Keywords: Topical corticosteroids; Side effects; Abuse.