Current consensus and update on psoriasis therapy: a perspective from the U.S

Abstract

Psoriasis is one of the more common forms of chronic dermatitis in the world. The latest U.S.-wide epidemiological study conducted by the author revealed a prevalence rate of 2.6% of the population, which translates to over 6 million Americans (1). Psoriasis comes in many different degrees of severity and responsiveness to treatment modalities. Some cases are very mild and quite responsive to treatment, while others are so severe, chronic and recalcitrant that they test the skill and ingenuity of the best clinicians. Fortunately, there are also many different treatment options. Topical therapies include crude coal tar, anthralin, corticosteroids, calcipotriol, and tazarotene. Phototherapy may be a better choice in patients with more extensive psoriasis; UVB or psoralen plus subsequest UVA (PUVA) can be used. There are also a host of systemic therapies (cyclosporine, methotrexate, acitretin), which can be chosen in recalcitrant cases, or when topical or phototherapy is impractical. Importantly, significant increases in efficacy can be obtained by combining multiple therapies (Re-PUVA, topical calcipotriol plus topical halobetasol) and significant decreases in side effects can be obtained by transitioning through or rotating between therapies (cyclosporine transitioning into acitretin).