The Effect of Combination Therapy Using Calcipotriol Ointment and Narrow-Band Ultraviolet B Phototherapy in Psoriatic Patients

Yoon, Hyun Sun; Jo, Seong Jin; Youn, Jai Il

Abstract

BACKGOUND: Narrow-band ultraviolet B (NBUVB) phototherapy has appeared to be effective in clearing psoriatic lesions. Calcipotriol has been combined with a number of the systemic antipsoriatic treatments, improving efficacy or reducing the systemic treatment required. OBJECTIVE: We performed calcipotriol-NBUVB combination therapy to evaluate the clinical efficacy and the safety in Korean psoriasis patients. METHOD: In the psoriasis clinic at Seoul National University Hospital, 69 psoriasis patients were treated with calcipotriol-NBUVB. Phototherapy was given once daily, three times a week, and the dose was gradually increased. Calcipotriol ointment was applied twice a day. The PASI score was used to evaluate the effects of the treatment and the patients were classified according to clearance, improvement, or failure. RESULTS: The therapeutic results showed 53.6% for clearance, 31.9% for improvement and 14.5% for failure. The total number, duration, final and cumulative doses to achieve grade IV were 16.1, 41.8days, 1487.3mJ/cm2, and 15234.5mJ/cm(2) respectively. Of 69 patients, 44 patients experienced variable adverse effects, but there was no significant adverse effect to discontinue the therapy. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that using calcipotriol ointment with NBUVB phototherapy is an effective therapeutic method for psoriatic patients.