Treatment of Hailey-Hailey Disease with Tacrolimus Ointment and Clobetasol Propionate Foam

Hailey-Hailey disease, or familial benign chronic pemphigus, is a chronic disease without a known cure. Current therapeutic strategies attempt to suppress Hailey-Hailey outbreaks and allow the patient to live comfortably with this condition. We have found that applying topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment (Protopic®) twice a day to affected areas is an excellent way to control Hailey-Hailey disease. In addition to effectively controlling Hailey-Hailey outbreaks, tacrolimus is a relatively safe and noninvasive mode of treatment, without significant side effects. We recommend intermittent therapy with clobetasol propionate 0.05% foam (Olux Foam®) for patients who break through suppressive therapy with tacrolimus a few times per year. In patients with frequent outbreaks of Hailey-Hailey disease despite suppressive therapy with tacrolimus, we recommend alternating the tacrolimus with clobetasol propionate 0.05% foam every 6 weeks.