The weight of a finger-tip unit of ointment in 5-gram tubes.

摘要

The concept of a finger-tip unit (FTU), first coined by Finlay et al. in 1989 (1), is now widely accepted for specifying the amount of ointment that is used for the treatment of dermatoses. Finlay et al. reported that 1 FTU (Figure 1) of ointment in 5-mm nozzle tubes weighs 0.49 g for males and 0.43 g for females. However, in Japan, topical steroids are marketed in much smaller packages (5-gram tubes) than those in western countries. The outlets of such tubes are smaller nozzles; therefore, 1 FTU of ointment obtained from such tubes weighs less than that obtained from tubes used in western countries. Knowing the exact weight of 1 FTU from such tubes is essential for dermatological practice in Japan, but no study has looked into this issue.