it has been discovered that 4 -[ 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide can be prepared in a crystalline form designated “ form b ”. form b can be characterized by the following methods . melting points were performed either on a thomas hoover melting point apparatus or a mettler fp900 thermosystem melting point apparatus . melting ranges were determined by differential scanning calorimetry on a ta instruments differential scanning calorimeter ( model 2100 controller , model 912 dual calorimeter ). the sample ( 1 - 2 mg ) was placed in an unsealed aluminum pan and heated at 10 ° c ./ minute . form a showed an onset of melting at 160 . 2 ° c . with an imbedded exotherm at 170 . 9 ° c . due to crystal rearrangement ( see fig1 ). form b showed an onset of melting at 170 . 9 ° c . ( peak 172 . 5 ° c .). an example of the dsc of form b is shown in fig2 . infrared spectra were obtained with a nicolet drift ( diffused reflectance infrared fourier transform ) magna system 550 spectrophotometer . a spectra - tech collector system and a 3 mm sample cup were used . samples ( 2 %) were analyzed in kbr and scanned from 400 to 4000 cm − 1 . an example of an infrared absorption spectra of form b is shown in fig3 a , and that of form a is shown in fig3 b . the y - axis represents corrected reflectance in kubella - munk units . the infrared spectrum of form b is characterized by absorptions at about 3377 , 1170 , 1151 , 925 , 844 , 745 , 729 , and 534 cm − 1 which are different than that observed in the form a spectra . the infrared spectrum of form a is characterized in part by an absorption at about 723 cm − 1 which is different than that observed in the form b spectra . form b crystals of the present invention preferably display an infrared spectrum substantially the same as that shown in fig3 a . the analysis was performed with a siemens d5000 powder diffractometer . raw data was measured for 2θ values from 2 to 50 , with steps of 0 . 020 and step periods of 2 seconds . table i sets out the significant parameters of the main peaks in terms of 2θ values and intensities for form b . an example of the x - ray diffraction pattern for form a is shown in fig4 . an example of the x - ray diffraction pattern for form b is shown in fig5 . significant differences between form a and form b are evident at 12 . 221 , 15 . 447 , 17 . 081 , 19 . 798 and 23 . 861 . table i peak angle - 2θ d peak i / imax no . ( deg ) spacing cps (%) 1 12 . 221 7 . 2361 502 . 38 63 . 29 2 13 . 693 6 . 4617 38 . 03 4 . 79 3 14 . 227 6 . 2203 51 . 46 6 . 48 4 15 . 447 5 . 7314 599 . 94 75 . 58 5 15 . 801 5 . 6039 793 . 79 100 . 00 6 16 . 678 5 . 3110 239 . 95 30 . 23 7 17 . 081 5 . 1868 331 . 31 41 . 74 8 18 . 165 4 . 8796 270 . 21 34 . 04 9 19 . 066 4 . 6510 73 . 16 9 . 22 10 19 . 400 4 . 5717 200 . 13 25 . 21 11 19 . 798 4 . 4807 789 . 23 99 . 43 12 20 . 578 4 . 3126 209 . 43 26 . 38 13 22 . 008 4 . 0354 691 . 33 87 . 09 14 22 . 540 3 . 9414 71 . 87 9 . 05 15 22 . 975 3 . 8678 137 . 23 17 . 29 16 23 . 580 3 . 7699 394 . 27 49 . 67 17 23 . 861 3 . 7261 602 . 27 75 . 87 18 24 . 553 3 . 6226 397 . 23 50 . 04 19 25 . 206 3 . 5302 192 . 44 24 . 24 20 25 . 560 3 . 4822 77 . 74 9 . 79 21 25 . 940 3 . 4320 31 . 47 3 . 96 22 26 . 200 3 . 3985 20 . 87 2 . 63 23 27 . 295 3 . 2646 151 . 54 19 . 09 24 28 . 595 3 . 1191 207 . 74 26 . 17 25 29 . 124 3 . 0636 161 . 44 20 . 34 26 29 . 656 3 . 0099 73 . 94 9 . 32 form b can be prepared by the recrystallization of 4 -[ 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide from a suitable solvent . to prepare form b , 4 -[ 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide is dissolved in a volume of solvent and cooled until crystals form . preferably , the compound is added to a solvent at a temperature of at least about 25 ° c . more preferably , the temperature of the solvent is between 30 ° c . and the boiling point of the solvent . an even more preferred temperature is in a range of about 65 - 75 ° c . alternatively , hot solvent may be added to the compound and the mixture can be cooled until crystals form . preferably , the solvent is at a temperature of at least 25 ° c . more preferably , the temperature of the solvent is at a temperature in the range of about 50 - 80 ° c . even more preferred , the temperature is in a range of about 65 - 75 ° c . preferably , the compound is mixed with an amount of solvent over about 3 times the weight of the compound . more preferred , the solvent to compound ratio is about 7 to about 10 times . preferably the solution is cooled slowly to precipitate form b . more preferably , the solution is cooled at a rate slower than about 0 . 5 ° c ./ minute . even more preferably , the solution is cooled at a rate of about 0 . 3 ° c ./ minute or slower . a suitable solvent is a solvent or mixture of solvents which dissolves the compound and any impurities at an elevated temperature , but upon cooling , preferentially precipitates form b . a suitable solvent is selected from an alcohol , methyl tert - butyl ether , methyl ethyl ketone and a combination of solvents selected from alcohol , methyl tert - butyl ether , acetonitrile , water , acetone , tetrahydrofuran and methyl ethyl ketone . an alcohol or aqueous alcohol is preferred . a more preferred solvent is selected from methanol , aqueous methanol , ethanol , aqueous ethanol , isopropyl alcohol and aqueous isopropyl alcohol . even more preferred is aqueous methanol , methanol , ethanol 3a , aqueous ethanol and a mixture of isopropanol / methanol . alternatively , the compound is dissolved in one solvent and a co - solvent is added to aid in the crystallization of the desired form . the crystals of form b so formed are separated from the solvent such as by filtration or centrifugation . preferably , the crystals are dried , and more preferably at a temperature in the range of about 30 ° c . to about 100 ° c . even more preferably , the crystals are dried under vacuum . alternatively , form b can be prepared by heating form a at a temperature sufficient to convert to form b . preferably , form a is heated at a temperature in the range of 50 ° c . to about 140 ° c . the following examples contain detailed descriptions of the methods of preparation of form b . these detailed descriptions fall within the scope , and serve to exemplify the invention . these detailed descriptions are presented for illustrative purposes only and are not intended as a restriction on the scope of the invention . all parts are by weight and temperatures are in degrees centigrade unless otherwise indicated . 4 -[ 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide was prepared by the following method where ethanol 3a is an aqueous ethanol ( 5 % water ) denatured with methanol : sodium acetate trihydrate ( 152 . 5 g , 1 . 12 mole , 1 . 1 eq .) was added to deoxybenzoin ( 200 g , 1 . 02 mole ) and dissolved with ethanol ( 3a , 0 . 8 l ) and water ( 0 . 24 l ) in a 5 l flask with mechanical stirrer , reflux condenser , and thermometer . the solution was stirred and heated to 70 ± 1 ° c . water ( 0 . 1 l ) was added to hydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 78 . 0 g , 1 . 12 mole , 1 . 1 eq .) in a separate 500 ml flask with stirring . the hydroxylamine hydrochloride solution was transferred to the deoxybenzoin solution , while the reaction mixture was kept at about 70 ° c . the mixture was heated to boiling ( about 84 ° c .) and held at this temperature for 40 minutes . the mixture was cooled to 40 ° c . in two hours and charged water ( 10 . 5 l ) into the reaction mixture . the reaction mixture was cooled to 20 ° c . over another hour with stirring . crystals of pure oxime formed which were isolated by filtration ( buchner funnel , no . 1 whatman filter paper ) using house vacuum , washed with a mixture of 50 ml of 3a ethanol and 100 ml of water , and with water ( 1 l ). the solid was dried with vacuum for 2 hours , and at 55 ° c . under house vacuum for 12 hours to yield pure deoxybenzoin oxime ( 213 . 2 g , 99 %). the deoxybenzoin oxime ( step 1 ) was dissolved in anhydrous thf ( 565 ml ) under a nitrogen atmosphere . the solution was cooled to − 20 ° c . the solution was treated with lithium diisopropylamide ( 2 m , 800 ml , 1 . 60 mol ) while allowing the reaction temperature to warm to 10 - 15 ° c . the reaction mixture to was cooled to − 10 ° c . to − 20 ° c . and anhydrous ethyl acetate ( 218 ml ) was added to the solution while allowing the reaction temperature to rise to a maximum of 25 ° c . and held for 30 minutes at 25 ° c . the reaction mixture was cooled to about 0 ° c . water was added to a quench flask and cooled to 0 - 5 ° c . the pre - cooled reaction mixture was transferred from the reaction flask to the quench flask while maintaining the temperature of the quench mixture below 25 ° c . the quenched mixture was cooled to 0 - 5 ° c . hydrochloric acid ( 12 m ) was added to the mixture , keeping the temperature below 25 ° c during the addition by controlling the addition rate and stirred until all the solids dissolve (− 5 minutes ). the ph of the stirred mixture was measured to be ph 3 - 4 . the layers were separated and the organic layer was removed . heptane was added to the organic layer with stirring . the organic layer was distilled until the pot temperature reached 90 - 91 ° c . the solution was cooled to 5 ° c . and filtered . the solid was washed with two 300 ml portions of ethyl acetate - heptane ( 20 / 80 ), cooled to 5 ° c . the solid product was dried on the funnel for several hours then dried at ambient under vacuum with a nitrogen sweep over the weekend to yield the isoxazoline ( 108 . 75g , 57 . 7 %). 5 - hydroxy - 5 - methyl - 3 , 4 - diphenylisoxazoline ( step 2 )( 142 g , 0 . 56 mol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 568 ml ) in a 3 l roundbottom flask equipped with a heating mantle , mechanical stirrer , cold water condenser , j - kem temperature controller and thermocouple , forming a slurry . the slurry was stirred and cooled to & lt ; 10 ° c . chlorosulfonic acid ( 335 ml , 586 . 3 g , 5 . 04 mol ) was added to the slurry , keeping the temperature of the flask below 20 ° c . by controlling the addition . the mixture was heated to reflux ( ca . 40 ° c . ), maintained for 5 hours , then cooled to 0 - 5 ° c . the cooled reaction solution was slowly transferred to a 3 l 3 - necked roundbottom flask ( mechanical stirrer and thermocouple ) containing water ( 1000 ml ) previously cooled to 0 - 5 ° c ., using vigorous agitation and keeping the pot temperature below 10 ° c . the mixture was stirred for an additional 5 minutes . the layers were separated . in a separate 3 l flask ( mechanical stirrer , external ice / salt bath , thermocouple ) 28 % ammonium hydroxide ( 700 - ml ) was cooled to 0 - 5 ° c . the methylene chloride solution was transferred to the stirred ammonium hydroxide solution , keeping the temperature below 10 ° c . the mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 60 minutes . the resulting slurry was filtered and the solid was washed with water ( 200 ml ) and dried , yielding the 4 -[( 5 - methyl - 3 - phenyl )- 4 - isoxazolyl ] benzenesulfonamide as a white solid ( 94 . 3 g , 53 . 5 %). the 4 -[( 5 - methyl - 3 - phenyl )- 4 - isoxazolyl ] benzenesulfonamide from step 3 was dissolved in 300 ml of boiling methyl ethyl ketone ( 2 - butanone ) and diluted with 10 % aqueous isopropyl alcohol ( 300 ml , ( 270 ml anhydrous isopropyl alcohol and 30 ml of water )). the material was cooled to room temperature , whereupon crystals formed . the crystals were isolated by filtration and dried in a vacuum drying oven ( 10 mm hg , 100 ° c .) to afford pure form b ( 112 . 95 g , 65 %): mp 172 - 173 ° c . 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide ( example 1 , step 3 )( 3 g ) was combined with 80 % ethanol 3a / 20 % water ( 9 ml ) and heated until solids dissolved . the flask was cooled with a tap water bath and held for 1 hour to form a precipitate . the solid was filtered off and washed with ethanol 3a . the material was heated to dryness under vacuum ( 50 - 60 ° c ., 20 in hg ). the material formed was identified as form b . 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide ( example 1 , step 3 )( 10 g ) was combined with ethanol 3a ( 100 ml ) and heated until the solids dissolved ( about 70 ° c ). the flask was cooled to 20 - 25 ° c . over 1 . 5 hours and held for 30 minutes to form a precipitate . the solid was filtered off ( whatman # 1 filter paper ) and washed with water . the material was heated to dryness under vacuum ( 90 ° c ., 50 - 100 mm hg ). the material formed was identified as form b . 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide ( example 1 , step 3 ) ( 9 . 8 g ), methanol ( 73 . 5 ml ) and water ( 24 . 5 ml ) were combined and heated to 65 - 70 ° c . the solution was held for about 10 minutes and filtered while hot to remove any particulate matter . the solution was cooled slowly to 50 ° c . ( about 0 . 3 ° c ./ min ) and held at 50 ° c . for 1 hour ( crystallization begins during the hold period ). the solution was further cooled to 5 ° c . ( about 0 . 3 ° c ./ min ) and held at 5 ° c . for 1 hour . the product was isolated by filtration and washed with 10 ml of cold methanol / water ( 75 / 25 ). the product was dried at 95 - 100 ° c . for 4 hours to give 8 . 55 g of form b . methanol / isopropanol ( 80 / 20 , 120 ml ) was added to 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide ( example 1 , step 3 ) ( 25 g ) and heated to about 68 ° c . the solution was held for about 15 minutes and filtered with a glass filtering funnel , while hot , to remove any particulate matter . the solution was cooled slowly to 5 ° c . over 3 . 3 hours ( about 0 . 3 ° c ./ min ) and held at 5 ° c . for 2 hours . the product was isolated by filtration and washed with 10 ml of cold methanol / isopropanol ( 80 / 20 ). the product was dried at 95 - 100 ° c . for 3 hours to give 11 g of form b . 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide ( example 1 , step 3 )( 10 g ) was combined with 20 ml of water : methanol ( 25 : 75 ), and heated until the solids dissolved . the flask containing the solution was set in ice and the mixture cooled rapidly to & lt ; 10 ° c . with no crystallization observed on cooling . a few crystals were observed forming on bottom of flask , and soon crystallization was rapid . let stand for about 10 minutes . the solid was filtered off and washed with 75 % aqueous methanol . the material was heated to dryness under vacuum w / nitrogen bleed ( 50 - 60 ° c ., 20 in hg ). material formed was identified as form a . the present invention also comprises a method of treating or preventing a cyclooxygenase - 2 associated disorder such as inflammation in a subject , the method comprising treating the subject having or susceptible to such inflammation or disorder with a therapeutically - effective amount of crystalline form b of 4 -[ 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide . form b of 4 -[ 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide would be useful for , but not limited to , the treatment of inflammation in a subject , and for treatment of other cyclooxygenase - 2 mediated disorders , such as , as an analgesic in the treatment of pain and headaches , or as an antipyretic for the treatment of fever . for example , form b would be useful to treat arthritis , including but not limited to rheumatoid arthritis , spondyloarthropathies , gouty arthritis , osteoarthritis , systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile arthritis . form b would be useful in the treatment of asthma , bronchitis , menstrual cramps , preterm labor , tendinitis , bursitis , liver disease including hepatitis , skin - related conditions such as psoriasis , eczema , burns and dermatitis , and from post - operative inflammation including from ophthalmic surgery such as cataract surgery and refractive surgery . form b also would be useful to treat gastrointestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease , crohn &# 39 ; s disease , gastritis , irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis . form b would be useful for the prevention or treatment of cancer , such as colorectal cancer , and cancer of the breast , lung , prostate , bladder , cervix and skin . form b would be useful in treating glaucoma , angiogenesis and retinopathies . form b would be useful in treating inflammation in such diseases as vascular diseases including atherosclerosis , migraine headaches , periarteritis nodosa , thyroiditis , aplastic anemia , hodgkin &# 39 ; s disease , sclerodoma , rheumatic fever , type i diabetes , neuromuscular junction disease including myasthenia gravis , white matter disease including multiple sclerosis , sarcoidosis , nephrotic syndrome , behcet &# 39 ; s syndrome , polymyositis , gingivitis , nephritis , hypersensitivity , swelling occurring after injury , myocardial ischemia , and the like . form b would also be useful in the treatment of ophthalmic diseases , such as retinitis , conjunctivitis , retinopathies , uveitis , ocular photophobia , and of acute injury to the eye tissue . form b would also be useful in the treatment of pulmonary inflammation , such as that associated with viral infections and cystic fibrosis . form b would also be useful for the treatment of certain central nervous system disorders , such as cortical dementias including alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease , and central nervous system damage resulting from stroke , ischemia , seizures and trauma . form b is useful as anti - inflammatory agents , such as for the treatment of arthritis , with the additional benefit of having significantly less harmful side effects . form b would also be useful in the treatment of allergic rhinitis , respiratory distress syndrome , endotoxin shock syndrome , osteoporosis and inhibiting bone resorption . form b also would be useful in the treatment of pain , but not limited to postoperative pain , dental pain , muscular pain , and pain resulting from cancer . form b would be useful for the prevention of cardiovascular disease , such as atherosclerosis , liver disease and dementias , such as alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease . besides being useful for human treatment , this form is also useful for veterinary treatment of companion animals , exotic animals and farm animals , including mammals , rodents , and the like . more preferred animals include horses , dogs , and cats . the present form b may also be used in co - therapies , partially or completely , in place of other conventional antiinflammatories , such as together with steroids , nsaids , 5 - lipoxygenase inhibitors , ltb 4 receptor antagonists and lta 4 hydrolase inhibitors . suitable lta 4 hydrolase inhibitors include rp - 64966 , ( s , s )- 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - benzyloxyphenyl )- 2 - hydroxybutyric acid benzyl ester ( scripps res . inst . ), n -( 2 ( r )-( cyclohexylmethyl )- 3 -( hydroxycarbamoyl ) propionyl )- l - alanine ( searle ), 7 -( 4 -( 4 - ureidobenzyl ) phenyl ) heptanoic acid ( rhone - poulenc rorer ), and 3 -( 3 -( 1e , 3e - tetradecadienyl )- 2 - oxiranyl ) benzoic acid lithium salt ( searle ). suitable ltb 4 receptor antagonists include , among others , ebselen , linazolast , ontazolast , bayer bay - x - 1005 , ciba geigy compound cgs - 25019c , leo denmark compound eth - 615 , merck compound mafp , terumo compound tmk - 688 , tanabe compound t - 0757 , lilly compounds ly - 213024 , ly - 210073 , ly223982 , ly233469 , and ly255283 , ly - 293111 , 264086 and 292728 , ono compounds ono - lb457 , ono - 4057 , and ono - lb - 448 , shionogi compound s - 2474 , calcitrol , lilly compounds searle compounds sc - 53228 , sc - 41930 , sc - 50605 and sc - 51146 , warner lambert compound bpc 15 , smithkline beecham compound sb - 209247 and sk & amp ; f compound skf - 104493 . preferably , the ltb 4 receptor antagonists are selected from calcitrol , ebselen , bayer bay - x - 1005 , ciba geigy compound cgs - 25019c , leo denmark compound eth - 615 , lilly compound ly - 293111 , ono compound ono - 4057 , and terumo compound tmk - 688 . suitable 5 - lo inhibitors include , among others , abbott compounds a - 76745 , 78773 and abt761 , bayer bay - x - 1005 , cytomed cmi - 392 , eisai e - 3040 , scotia pharmaceutica ef - 40 , fujirebio f - 1322 , merckle ml - 3000 , purdue frederick pf - 5901 , 3m pharmaceuticals r - 840 , rilopirox , flobufen , linasolast , lonapolene , masoprocol , ontasolast , tenidap , zileuton , pranlukast , tepoxalin , rilopirox , flezelastine hydrochloride , enazadrem phosphate , and bunaprolast . the present form also may be used in combination therapies with opioids and other analgesics , including narcotic analgesics , mu receptor antagonists , kappa receptor antagonists , non - narcotic ( i . e . non - addictive ) analgesics , monoamine uptake inhibitors , adenosine regulating agents , cannabinoid derivatives , substance p antagonists , neurokinin - 1 receptor antagonists and sodium channel blockers , among others . more preferred would be combinations with compounds selected from morphine , meperidine , codeine , pentazocine , buprenorphine , butorphanol , dezocine , meptazinol , hydrocodone , oxycodone , methadone , tramadol [(+) enantiomer ], dup 747 , dynorphine a , enadoline , rp - 60180 , hn - 11608 , e - 2078 , ici - 204448 , acetominophen ( paracetamol ), propoxyphene , nalbuphine , e - 4018 , filenadol , mirfentanil , amitriptyline , dup631 , tramadol [(−) enantiomer ], gp - 531 , acadesine , aki - 1 , aki - 2 , gp - 1683 , gp - 3269 , 4030w92 , tramadol racemate , dynorphine a , e - 2078 , axc3742 , snx - 111 , adl2 - 1294 , ici - 204448 , ct - 3 , cp - 99 , 994 , and cp - 99 , 994 . the present invention comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically - effective amount of crystalline form b of 4 -[ 5 - methyl - 3 - phenylisoxazol - 4 - yl ] benzenesulfonamide in association with at least one pharmaceutically - acceptable carrier , adjuvant or diluent . also embraced within this invention is a class of pharmaceutical compositions comprising crystalline form b in association with one or more non - toxic , pharmaceutically - acceptable carriers and / or diluents and / or adjuvants ( collectively referred to herein as “ carrier ” materials ) and , if desired , other active ingredients . form b of the present invention may be administered by any suitable route , preferably in the form of a pharmaceutical composition adapted to such a route , and in a dose effective for the treatment intended . the active form b and compositions may , for example , be administered orally , intravascularly , intraperitoneally , subcutaneously , intramuscularly or topically . for oral administration , the pharmaceutical composition may be in the form of , for example , a tablet , capsule , suspension or liquid . the pharmaceutical composition is preferably made in the form of a dosage unit containing a particular amount of the active ingredient . examples of such dosage units are tablets or capsules . the active ingredient may also be administered by injection as a composition wherein , for example , saline , dextrose or water may be used as a suitable carrier . the amount of therapeutically active compound that is administered and the dosage regimen for treating a disease condition with the compound and / or compositions of this invention depends on a variety of factors , including the age , weight , sex and medical condition of the subject , the severity of the disease , the route and frequency of administration , and the particular compound employed , and thus may vary widely . the pharmaceutical compositions may contain active ingredients in the range of about 0 . 1 to 2000 mg , preferably in the range of about 0 . 5 to 500 mg and most preferably between about 1 and 100 mg . a daily dose of about 0 . 01 to 100 mg / kg body weight , preferably between about 0 . 5 and about 20 mg / kg body weight and most preferably between about 0 . 1 to 10 mg / kg body weight , may be appropriate . the daily dose can be administered in one to four doses per day . in the case of psoriasis and other skin conditions , it may be preferable to apply a topical preparation of form b to the affected area two to four times a day . for inflammations of the eye or other external tissues , e . g ., mouth and skin , the formulations are preferably applied as a topical ointment or cream , or as a suppository , containing the active ingredients in a total amount of , for example , 0 . 075 to 30 % w / w , preferably 0 . 2 to 20 % w / w and most preferably 0 . 4 to 15 % w / w . when formulated in an ointment , the active ingredients may be employed with either paraffinic or a water - miscible ointment base . alternatively , the active ingredients may be formulated in a cream with an oil - in - water cream base . if desired , the aqueous phase of the cream base may include , for example at least 30 % w / w of a polyhydric alcohol such as propylene glycol , butane - 1 , 3 - diol , mannitol , sorbitol , glycerol , polyethylene glycol and mixtures thereof . the topical formulation may desirably include a compound which enhances absorption or penetration of the active ingredient through the skin or other affected areas . examples of such dermal penetration enhancers include dimethylsulfoxide and related analogs . form b can also be administered by a transdermal device . preferably topical administration will be accomplished using a patch either of the reservoir and porous membrane type or of a solid matrix variety . in either case , the active agent is delivered continuously from the reservoir or microcapsules through a membrane into the active agent permeable adhesive , which is in contact with the skin or mucosa of the recipient . if the active agent is absorbed through the skin , a controlled and predetermined flow of the active agent is administered to the recipient . in the case of microcapsules , the encapsulating agent may also function as the membrane . the oily phase of the emulsions of this invention may be constituted from known ingredients in a known manner . while the phase may comprise merely an emulsifier , it may comprise a mixture of at least one emulsifier with a fat or an oil or with both a fat and an oil . preferably , a hydrophilic emulsifier is included together with a lipophilic emulsifier which acts as a stabilizer . it is also preferred to include both an oil and a fat . together , the emulsifier ( s ) with or without stabilizer ( s ) make - up the so - called emulsifying wax , and the wax together with the oil and fat make up the so - called emulsifying ointment base which forms the oily dispersed phase of the cream formulations . emulsifiers and emulsion stabilizers suitable for use in the formulation of the present invention include tween 60 , span 80 , cetostearyl alcohol , myristyl alcohol , glyceryl monostearate , and sodium lauryl sulfate , among others . the choice of suitable oils or fats for the formulation is based on achieving the desired cosmetic properties , since the solubility of the active compound in most oils likely to be used in pharmaceutical emulsion formulations is very low . thus , the cream should preferably be a non - greasy , non - staining and washable product with suitable consistency to avoid leakage from tubes or other containers . straight or branched chain , mono - or dibasic alkyl esters such as di - isoadipate , isocetyl stearate , propylene glycol diester of coconut fatty acids , isopropyl myristate , decyl oleate , isopropyl palmitate , butyl stearate , 2 - ethylhexyl palmitate or a blend of branched chain esters may be used . these may be used alone or in combination depending on the properties required . alternatively , high melting point lipids such as white soft paraffin and / or liquid paraffin or other mineral oils can be used . formulations suitable for topical administration to the eye also include eye drops wherein the active ingredients are dissolved or suspended in suitable carrier , especially an aqueous solvent for the active ingredients . the antiinflammatory active ingredients are preferably present in such formulations in a concentration of 0 . 5 to 20 %, advantageously 0 . 5 to 10 % and particularly about 1 . 5 % w / w . for therapeutic purposes , form b is ordinarily combined with one or more adjuvants appropriate to the indicated route of administration . if administered per os , the compound may be admixed with lactose , sucrose , starch powder , cellulose esters of alkanoic acids , cellulose alkyl esters , talc , stearic acid , magnesium stearate , magnesium oxide , sodium and calcium salts of phosphoric and sulfuric acids , gelatin , acacia gum , sodium alginate , polyvinylpyrrolidone , and / or polyvinyl alcohol , and then tableted or encapsulated for convenient administration . such capsules or tablets may contain a controlled - release formulation as may be provided in a dispersion of active compound in hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose . formulations for parenteral administration may be in the form of aqueous or non - aqueous isotonic sterile injection solutions or suspensions . these solutions and suspensions may be prepared from sterile powders or granules having one or more of the carriers or diluents mentioned for use in the formulations for oral administration . the crystalline form b may be dissolved in water , polyethylene glycol , propylene glycol , ethanol , corn oil , cottonseed oil , peanut oil , sesame oil , benzyl alcohol , sodium chloride , and / or various buffers . other adjuvants and modes of administration are well and widely known in the pharmaceutical art . all mentioned references are incorporated by reference as if here written . although this invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments , the details of these embodiments are not to be construed as limitations .