308-nm excimer laser in psoriasis vulgaris, scalp psoriasis, and palmoplantar psoriasis.

BACKGROUND

The 308-nm excimer laser is a recent development in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris, palmoplantar psoriasis, and psoriasis of the scalp. The XeCl excimer emits a 308-nm wavelength beam of light that is monochromatic and coherent. These properties allow selectivity when used as phototherapy against a psoriatic lesion while sparing healthy surrounding tissue.

OBJECTIVE

In this manuscript, we review recent updates on the efficacy of excimer and its most recent trials in psoriasis.

METHODS

A review of the medical literature in Pubmed database was performed using the terms 'psoriasis' and '308 nm excimer laser'. All trials to date that studied the 308-nm excimer including those that compared the excimer with other modalities were included.

RESULTS

Eighteen trials show positive results surrounding the efficacy of the excimer. Selectivity of the 308-nm excimer, when compared with non-selective narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy allows one to adjust the fluency to the lesion. The excimer may also stand superior to NB-UVB in its efficacy of mechanism.

CONCLUSION

Excimer is a useful and effective treatment for psoriasis that may be used as a compliment to topical medications as well as NB-UVB. However, large randomized trials with long-term follow-up are needed to further support this.