Excimer laser therapy used in combination with topical clobetasol spray and calcitriol ointment may be effective treatment for patients with moderate to severe generalized psoriasis, according to results of a recent study published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment.
Ethan C. Levin, MD, Psoriasis and Skin Treatment Center, University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues conducted a 12-week open-label pilot study to determine efficacy of combination therapy using 308-nm excimer laser along with clobetasol propionate spray and calcitriol ointment for the treatment of moderate to severe generalized psoriasis.
Twenty-one patients with moderate to severe psoriasis received treatments twice weekly with XTRAC® Velocity 308-nm excimer laser. Patients also were treated twice daily with both clobetasol propionate spray followed by calcitriol ointment.
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By the end of the study, 76% of patients had at least a 75% reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI-75) and 52% of patients had a Physicians Global Assessment of “clear” or “almost clear.”
The researchers concluded that laser therapy combined with an optimized topical regimen of clobetasol spray and calcitriol ointment appears to be effective for treatment of moderate to severe generalized psoriasis. This treatment also “avoids the risk of side effects associated with many systemic agents,” the researchers wrote.
