[Update of the topical treatment of psoriasis]

Abstract

Topical therapy continues to be one of the pillars of psoriasis management. Topical corticosteroids and vitamin D analogs are the drugs of choice during the induction phase, and vitamin D analogs continue to be drugs of choice for maintenance therapy. Tazarotene and dithranol are suitable options in patients with certain, specific characteristics. The calcineurin inhibitors can be considered to be second-line treatment for psoriasis of the face and flexures. The efficacy and safety of the fixed-dose combination of betamethasone and calcipotriol in the induction phase is greater than that of either drug alone. The combination of corticosteroids with salicylic acid achieves better results than corticosteroids in monotherapy. None of the drugs evaluated stands out over the others in all clinical situations, and their use must therefore be individualized in each patient and adjusted according to the course of the disease.