Metronidazole

Topical metronidazole (0.75–1% gel or cream) is the most commonly used treatment for Perioral Dermatitis in children, including toddlers. It is applied once or twice daily after the facial steroid has been stopped, and clearance usually takes 3–8 weeks (Kellen & Silverberg, Cutis 2017; DermNet). An evidence review rated its support in children “relatively weak”: mostly case series, and one trial found it inferior to oral tetracycline (Hall & Reichenberg 2010).

Connections

• Perioral Dermatitis — topical first-line in children, source: Cutis 2017; DermNet 2018