[Basic or Maintenance Therapy in Dermatology. Appropriate Vehicles, Possibilities and Limitations]

Topical therapy of dermatological diseases includes treatment with active ingredients in combination with basic or maintenance therapy. An appropriate basic therapy can be used as prophylaxis to avoid or decrease occurrence of disease episodes and therefore counteract chronic disease manifestations. Long-term basic therapy is suitable especially for chronic dermatoses to prevent the onset of symptoms. This also makes basic therapy a type of preventive therapy. At the same time, adequate basic therapy leads to an increased quality of life, which is often considerably reduced in patients with a chronic dermatologic disease. Choosing the right vehicle for basic therapy is an important criterion along with the choice of appropriate active ingredients for successful treatment. This should be done using established standard vehicles recommended in the various pharmacopeia.