[A case of severe persistent bronchial asthma who showed significant improvement by switching to hfa-bdp, with reducing the dosage of oral steroids].

A case, 54-year-old female teacher, has been treated for severe persistent asthma mainly with an inhaled corticosteroid, budesonide (BUD), 600 microg/day. The higher dose was considered inappropriate due to the adverse effects including hoarseness, thus, prednisolone (PSL) was frequently given when needed. In this situation, administration of hydrofluoroalkane-beclomethasone dipropionate (HFA-BDP), 400 microg/day, was started instead of BUD, and then improvement of the clinical symptoms, PEF and pulmonary function were observed promptly, followed by reduction in the dosage of PSL and a short-acting beta-stimulant.