Background: Systemic or intraperitoneal administration of corticosteroids has been reported to have conflicting effects on the prevention of peritoneal adhesions. Painting corticosteroid cream directly on the likely site of adhesion formation, owing to its high concentrations and persistent effects, may be a promising approach to prevent peritoneal adhesion formation.

Methods: Adhesions were induced by abrading of the cecum, followed by dropping of 95% ethanol. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly allocated to two control groups with no further treatment of the cecum and to two therapy groups treated with 0.1% halcinonide cream painted directly on the damaged surface of the cecum. After 3 and 7 days, adhesion scores, adhesion incidence, and intraperitoneal leukocytes were evaluated.

Results: On both postoperative days 3 and 7, halcinonide cream resulted in a significant decrease in mean adhesion scores (6.80 versus 0.67, 10.40 versus 1.26; P <0.001, P <0.001, respectively). The adhesion incidence was 43.3% for the therapy groups and 100% for controls (P <0.01). On day 3, the total numbers of intraperitoneal leukocytes were 120.73 ± 24.01 millions for the therapy groups and 270.40 ± 34.68 for controls (P <0.001).

Conclusions: Painting halcinonide cream directly on the damaged surface of the cecum could effectively reduce the severity and incidence of adhesion, possibly by suppression of early inflammatory exudate and of late fibroblast invasion and proliferation.