How are topical corticosteroids classified as to potency?

Many authors in the United States classify topical corticosteroids into seven categories of potency:
1. superpotency,
2. high potency,
3. high midpotency,
4. midpotency,
5. low midpotency,
6. mildly potent, and
7. low potency.










The authors of this book prefer to rank them into four classes of potency (Table 50-1).

Table 50-1. Topical Steroid Potency *
	Group I: Super Potency (antiinflammatory activity = 500) Clobetasol diproprionate 0.05% (Temovate) Betamethasone diproprionate 0.25% (Diprolene) Halbetasol proprionate 0.05% (Ultravate) Diflorasone diacetate 0.05% (Psorcon)
	Group II: High Potency (antiinflammatory activity = 100–500) Fluocinonide 0.05% (Lidex) Halcinonide 0.05% (Halog) Amcinonide 0.05% (Cyclocort) Desoximetasone 0.25% (Topicort)
	Group III: Midpotency (antiinflammatory activity = 10–100) Fluocinolone acetonide 0.01%–0.2% (Synalar, Synemol, Fluonid) Hydrocortisone valerate 0.2% (Westcort) Hydrocortisone butyrate 0.1% ( Locoid) Triamcinolone acetonide 0.01%–0.5% (Kenalog, Aristocort) Betamethasone valerate 0.1% (Valisone) Clocortolone pivalate 0.1% (Cloderm) Flurandrenolide 0.05% (Cordran) Betamethasone benzoate 0.028% (Benisone, Uticort) Mometasone furoate 0.1% (Elocon) Diflorasone diacetate 0.05% (Florone, Maxiflor) Fluticasone proprionate 0.005% (Cutivate) Betamethasone diproprionate 0.005% (Maxivate)
	Group IV: Low Potency (antiinflammatory activity = 1–10) Hydrocortisone acetate 0.25%–2.5% (1% is OTC; 0.1% is prescription) Desonide 0.05% (DesOwen, Tridesilon) Aclometasone 0.05% (Aclovate) Prednisolone 0.5% (Meti-Derm) Dexamethasone 0.1% (Decadron) Methylprednisolone 1% (Medrol)
	* The individual steroid molecules can be moved up or down in the potency ranking by changing the vehicle of the topical formulation. OTC, Over-the-counter.