Topiramate in the treatment of psoriasis: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: This study was initiated following a serendipitous finding in which a patient who presented with both a mood disorder and psoriasis experienced significant improvement of her psoriasis following treatment with topiramate. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of topiramate for the treatment of psoriasis. METHODS: Seven other patients, six of whom presented with both mood disorders and psoriasis and one with psoriasis only, were treated in an open-label fashion with topiramate. Topiramate therapy was usually initiated at 15 mg day-1 and gradually titrated by 15 mg week-1 to an average final dose of 56 mg day-1. Patients were treated for a minimum of 4 months. Psoriasis severity was measured using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). RESULTS: For all patients, the mean PASI score decreased from 16.1 before treatment to 7.1. For patients exhibiting improvement, the mean PASI score decreased from 14.3 to 3.9. CONCLUSIONS: These results represent the first known report of the efficacy of topiramate in the treatment of psoriasis.     

Targeted UVB phototherapy for psoriasis: a preliminary study

Excimer laser treatment for psoriasis has been associated with good results at a lower cumulative dose than narrowband ultraviolet (UV)B protocols. To examine the clinical performance of a new targeted UVB lamp (290-320 nm; BClear) in the treatment of plaque-type psoriasis, 28 consecutive patients attending a dermatology service were treated twice weekly with the UVB lamp for 6-18 sessions (median 10). UV doses were based on multiples of a predetermined minimal erythema dose (MED). MEDs ranged from 150 to 350 mJ/cm2; maximal dose was 8 MED. Mean cumulative fluence until remission was 12.63 J/cm2. The Psoriasis Severity Index (PSI) was measured every 2 weeks for 16 weeks. Mean PSI improvement during treatment peaked at 73% after 6 weeks, and declined to 63% at 16 weeks. At that point, 36% of the patients had a > 75% improvement in PSI, and 21% showed complete clearance. Targeted radiation with the UVB lamp is effective for the treatment of plaque-type psoriasis, requiring as few as six sessions and achieving moderately long remission. As treatment is selectively directed toward lesioned skin, normal surrounding skin is spared unnecessary radiation exposure.     

Excimer laser therapy for hairline psoriasis: a useful addition to the scalp psoriasis treatment algorithm

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition with negative impacts both physical and psychological. Scalp psoriasis, especially around the hairline, can cause significant impairment in quality of life due to its visibility. Options for treatment of facial psoriasis, including hairline involvement, are the use of low potency topical steroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and vitamin D analogues. Though the use of excimer laser for scalp psoriasis has been reported, there are no cases or studies specifically examining excimer laser phototherapy for the treatment of hairline psoriasis. We present a case of rapid improvement of hairline psoriasis using a regimen of 308 nm excimer laser with clobetasol spray and recommend an algorithm for the optimal treatment of scalp psoriasis utilizing currently available antipsoriatic therapies.     

Narrowband UVB phototherapy for the treatment of psoriasis: a review and update.

An advance in UVB-based phototherapy has been the introduction of fluorescent lightbulbs (Philips TL-01) that deliver monochromatic light at 311-nm UVB, a narrowband wavelength that seems to maximize clearing of plaques relative to its erythrogenic potential. Narrowband UVB phototherapy has considerable advantages over traditional treatment options such as broadband UVB and psoralen plus UVA (PUVA). It is clearly more effective than broadband UVB, safer than PUVA, and well tolerated by patients when taken at suberythemogenic doses. Narrowband UVB represents an important new therapy for psoriasis.     

Turbo-PUVA: dihydroxyacetone-enhanced photochemotherapy for psoriasis: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar in "sunless" tanning lotions, binds to stratum corneum to form a UV-A-protective brown pigment. Bound DHA polymer is shed faster from hyperproliferative skin sites such as psoriatic plaques. We tested the hypothesis that selective shedding of DHA pigment during psoralen-UV-A (PUVA) treatment of psoriasis may allow higher UV-A doses, thus accelerating clearing while protecting uninvolved skin. Concurrent use of lactic acid was investigated as an aid in removing scale and residual DHA from psoriatic plaques. OBSERVATIONS: Thirty psoriatic patients with more than 20% body surface area involvement were recruited. The 6 PUVA study groups were (1) standard American style, (2) American style plus lactic acid, (3) DHA-PUVA or "topical ultraviolet-resisting barrier to optiimize PUVA" (Turbo-PUVA), (4) Turbo-PUVA with lactic acid, (5) European style, and (6) European style plus DHA. Combinations of lactic acid and European-style treatment were not studied. Each subject received up to 30 oral PUVA treatments twice weekly 3 days apart. The DHA-PUVA groups used 15% DHA lotion twice weekly. Lactic acid groups used 7% lotion daily except on treatment days. Psoriasis area and severity index scores were recorded weekly. Turbo-PUVA allowed higher UV-A exposures with minimal burns, showed faster clearing, and required fewer treatments for 90% clearing (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Protection of uninvolved skin by DHA during PUVA treatment allows higher UV-A exposures to be tolerated, demonstrates faster clearing, and requires fewer treatments to clear psoriasis. By reducing the total body dose received, Turbo-PUVA may also reduce long-term risks.     

Videodermoscopy scalp psoriasis severity index (VSCAPSI): a useful tool for evaluation of scalp psoriasis

The standard methods used to diagnose scalp psoriasis vary in sensitivity, reproducibility, and invasiveness. Videodermoscopy can be used to explore microcirculatory modifications in skin diseases. Psoriasis presents three pathognomonic vascular patterns: red dots, hairpin vessels and red globular rings. Our aim was to create a videodermoscopy scalp psoriasis severity index (VSCAPSI) for evaluation of scalp psoriasis, especially mild and moderate forms that often are not clinically appreciable. VSCAPSI takes into account the area of the scalp affected by psoriasis, the presence and morphology of vascular patterns, the erythema and desquamation. Videodermoscopy images obtained between November 2009 to June 2010 from 900 participants with various scalp and hair disorders were reviewed for distinguishing features. During the 2010 Italian congress on psoriasis, in order to assess the reproducibility and efficacy of the VSCAPSI, 146 dermatologists were asked to evaluate 16 videodermoscopy images of scalp psoriasis using the VSCAPSI. Of the 900 patients, 85 new cases of scalp psoriasis were diagnosed. The other 815 patients were found to be suffering from different scalp and hair diseases. Of 146 dermatologists, 28 did not recognize erythema, 15 desquamation and 7 the vascular patterns. The VSCAPSI provides important evidence for early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, for follow-up and screening.     

Optimized UVB treatment of psoriasis: a controlled, left-right comparison trial

In a randomized, controlled, left-right comparison study, 20 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with UVB. One side of the body received UVB in a conventional regimen with fixed dose increments, the other side was given UVB doses according to measurements of skin pigmentation. Skin pigmentation was quantified by the skin reflectance technique. The relationship between skin pigmentation and sensitivity to UV radiation was used to optimize and individualize the initial UVB exposure dose. Clinical outcome, initial, final and cumulative UVB doses, time to 50% reduction in PASI score, and side-effects were compared. The consequence of the optimization of the UVB doses with a skin reflectance meter was that the initial UVB dose was significantly higher than in the conventional UVB regimen. PASI scoring demonstrated a more rapid improvement during the first 2 weeks of treatment on the half body receiving the optimized treatment compared to the other side (P < 0.05). This new technique offers the same therapeutical advantages and security as a dose regimen guided by minimal erythema dose testing. However, measurement of skin pigmentation by skin reflectance is a quick method which can be operated easily by nurses.     

Combination of methoxsalen and ultraviolet B (UVB) versus UVB radiation alone in treatment of psoriasis: a bilateral comparison study

A bilateral comparison study of the therapeutic effects of broad-band ultraviolet (UVB) (FS-40 Sunlamp bulbs) radiation versus UVB radiation plus methoxsalen was conducted in patients with psoriasis. Ten patients were given up to 30 exposures to the two treatments on paired, similarly affected limbs. There was no detectable difference in the response of limbs treated with UVB plus methoxsalen versus UVB phototherapy alone although all patients did show a therapeutic response. Other areas of the body treated with methoxsalen and broad-band UVA radiation (PUVA bulbs) responded more rapidly and to a greater extent than areas exposed to UVB radiation.     

Is UVB treatment of psoriasis safe? A study of extensively UVB-treated psoriasis patients compared with a matched control group

The aim of the study was to investigate whether or not extensively UVB-treated psoriatics ran a greater risk of developing skin cancer than did controls. The 85 most extensively UVB-treated psoriasis patients during recent decades have been investigated with regard to premalignant and malignant skin lesions and compared with a population matched for age, sex, and geographic region. The prevalence of persons who had or had had premalignant/malignant skin lesions was 5.9% (n = 85) in the psoriasis group, vs. 10.1% in the control group (n = 338). This difference is not statistically significant and the confidence limits are such that it is unlikely that the psoriasis patients treated in the past have an increased prevalence of premalignant and malignant skin lesions. A multiple regression analysis has been conducted among the controls, showing a correlation between premalignant/malignant skin changes and advanced age and outdoor occupations. No such correlation was found for the factors: sex, skin type, or travel to southern latitudes.     

311 nm UVB phototherapy—an effective treatment for psoriasis

Fifty two psoriatic patients were treated with a new experimental fluorescent lamp (Philips TL-01) emitting a narrow band at 311 +/- 2 nm (UVB) which had the advantage of a reduction in burning and carcinogenic wavelengths when compared with conventional broad band UVB therapy. Results of the '311' treated group when compared with broad band UVB therapy revealed a similar percentage of patients achieving a satisfactory response with fewer burning episodes and an increase in duration of remission.     

Patients' knowledge of psoriasis: pilot study

A brief questionnaire was constructed to sample patients' factual knowledge of the nature of psoriasis. The study demonstrated that many patients with psoriasis have gaps in their knowledge of the disease or misconceptions that could be obstacles to effective treatment and disease prevention. The results of the questionnaire study are discussed as well as the need for patients to be aware of factors to improve self-care and extrinsic conditions that can exacerbate this disease.     

窄谱中波紫外线治疗银屑病临床观察

目的:应用窄谱中波紫外线(NB-UVB)治疗337例银屑病患者,观察其治疗的有效性及安全性.方法:对银屑病患者进行全身NB-UVB照射,每周3次,应用银屑病皮损面积和严重程度指数(PASI)评分标准进行疗效评价.结果:痊愈所需治疗次数为12～62次,平均治疗次数为29.47次,照射累积剂量为8.24～126.18 J/cm2,平均累积剂量为53.3 J/cm2,未出现严重不良反应.结论:NB-UVB治疗银屑病具有效果好,安全性高的特点.