Psoriasis in Difficult-to-Treat Areas: A Multicentre, Real-World Retrospective Study Analyzing the Impact of Non-Invasive Imaging Techniques (Dermoscopy, Reflectance Confocal Microscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography) to Monitor the Effectiveness of Risankizumab in the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis of the Legs.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of non-invasive imaging techniques such as dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to monitor the efficacy of risankizumab on plaque psoriasis of the legs by analyzing morpho-histological changes.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Multicentre, real-world retrospective study involving 37 adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Assessments performed during routine visits at baseline, Week 4 and Week 12 included clinical response, dermoscopy, RCM and OCT.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven patients were included (mean age 52.1 years; 54% male; mean BMI 27.0 kg/m2). Dermoscopy showed progressive vascular normalization: at Week 12, 94.29% of lesions had minimal or no vascular pattern. White and yellow scales decreased significantly. On RCM, dilated vessels, inflammatory infiltrate, and papillomatosis progressively normalized. OCT showed reduction in epidermal and stratum corneum thickness and a decline in vascular intensity at multiple depths. Baseline haemorrhagic dots predicted early complete response: 44.8% of lesions with dots achieved complete clearance at Week 4 versus 0% without.

CONCLUSIONS

Risankizumab induced rapid, significant regression of psoriatic changes, normalizing vascular patterns and skin architecture and reducing epidermal thickness. Findings support its efficacy and rapid onset of action in difficult-to-treat areas and highlight the value of non-invasive imaging for monitoring.