A study of psoralen photochemotherapy with topical tar in the management of psoriasis vulgaris.

In a random study of 150 patients with psoriasis vulgaris, oral psoralen photochemotherapy using natural sunlight (PUVASOL) used alone was compared to PUVASOL plus adjunctive topical therapy with tar. The combined PUVASOL and topical therapy with tar in 75 patients (group-I) with 30 minutes sunlight exposure done in every alternate day showed complete clearing of lesions in 68 (90.6%) patients. The average rate of clearance of lesions started to appear 12-24 days with a mean of 18 days. Group I patients who received topical therapy in conjunction with PUVASOL, their skin lesions cleared more quickly with fewer treatments at a lower final 15 PUVASOL doses as compared to 22 PUVASOL doses in the control patients. Ninety percent of 51 patients using topical therapy on their scalp cleared their psoriasis in this area by the time their body psoriasis had cleared. Only 2 of the 45 (4.4%) patients with scalp involvement cleared receiving PU VASOL alone. All 7 patients with psoriatic arthritis cleared their psoriasis, but none of them noted any symptomatic alteration in the severity of their arthritis during the course of treatment in both the groups.