Letters to the Editor

Is Tacrolimus the Best Therapy for Atopic Dermatitis?

Am Fam Physician. 2003 May 1;67(9):1874.

to the editor: I read with interest the article, “Topical Tacrolimus: A New Therapy for Atopic Dermatitis,”1 because I recently saw a patient who experienced therapeutic failure with a $100 tube of tacrolimus for atopic dermatitis.

Because the response rate with tacrolimus is 27 to 36 percent compared with a 6 percent response rate for the vehicle alone, there is little doubt that tacrolimus works better than its vehicle alone. However, practicing physicians need to know whether tacrolimus works better than other available therapies, such as oral antihistamines, topical emollients, topical doxepin, and topical corticosteroids. This information would help physicians decide whether to order such an expensive new treatment or stay with the available remedies.

Send letters to Kenneth W. Lin, MD, Associate Deputy Editor for AFP Online, e-mail: afplet@aafp.org, or 11400 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy., Leawood, KS 66211-2680.

Please include your complete address, e-mail address, telephone number, and fax number. Letters should be fewer than 500 words and limited to six references, one table or figure, and three authors.

Letters submitted for publication in AFP must not be submitted to any other publication. Possible conflicts of interest must be disclosed at time of submission. Submission of a letter will be construed as granting the American Academy of Family Physicians permission to publish the letter in any of its publications in any form. The editors may edit letters to meet style and space requirements.

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