Treatment Options for Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin disorder which is a chronic and recurring condition that varies in severity from minor localized patches to completely covering the body. Psoriasis is a disease which commonly affects the skin and joints and causes red scaly patches to appear. These scaly patches, called psoriatic plaques, are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production and commonly take on a silvery white appearance. Psoriatic skin plaques frequently occur on the skin of the knees and elbows, but may affect any area including the scalp. Psoriasis is believed to be non-contagious and is immune-mediated. Psoriasis is a lifelong condition and there is currently no cure however there are various treatment options which can help to control the symptoms.

There is currently no cure for psoriasis and the existing treatments available are aimed at controlling the symptoms of the disease rather than curing it. Treatment options available for psoriasis range from topical therapies to phototherapy and systemic therapy for the more severe cases of the disease. All of these treatment options are considered by psoriasis patients to have several drawbacks in terms of convenience, safety, or effectiveness. The advent of new biological therapies may potentially offer patients suffering from psoriasis hope of long term treatment which is safer than the current available options.

Topical therapies have remained the mainstay of treatment for many patients suffering with mild psoriasis. Topical treatments work relatively quickly at clearing lesions and are typically well tolerated by the majority of psoriasis sufferers. However, topical treatments must be used repeatedly to remain effective and are often not able to maintain remission of an outbreak. Dithranol is a topical therapy which has been used often to treat psoriasis. It can be effective for mild to moderate psoriasis and is often used with ultraviolet treatments for patients with more severe psoriasis. There are some key issues which limit the use of Dithranol as it can cause irritation and burning to the skin and tends to stain anything it comes in contact with.

Topical corticosteroids are the most commonly prescribed treatments for psoriasis. They are synthetic drugs which resemble naturally occurring hormones in the body and are available in varying strengths and formulations including lotions, creams, solutions, sprays, gels, and ointments. Corticosteroids act by slowing down the growth of skin cells and decreasing the inflammation of lesions in patients with psoriasis. While corticosteroids may quickly clear lesions, they do not produce long term remissions so the lesions associated with psoriasis may recur after a short term. Side effects are numerous and may include stretch marks or scars on the skin.

Oral retinoids are also linked as treatments for psoriasis. Related to vitamin A, oral retinoids affect how cells regulate their behavior, including how quickly they grown and shed from the skin's surface. They are only moderately effective as monotherapy and are also associated with numerous side effects including hair loss and thinning of fingernails. Retinoids have also been associated with birth defects so they are not prescribed to women who could potentially become pregnant. Retinoids treatment must be stopped up to three years before a woman can become pregnant.

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