title: Combined tar-anthralin versus anthralin treatment lowers irritancy with unchanged antipsoriatic efficacy. Modifications of short-contact therapy and Ingram therapy.
abstract: In 44 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis anthralin therapy was used as high-strength short-contact therapy in a bilateral comparison of anthralin versus 5% crude coal tar-anthralin combination. These two trials were undertaken with and without ultraviolet (UV) irradiation immediately after anthralin therapy. The combined tar-anthralin therapy was significantly less of an irritant during the first 3 weeks of treatment than anthralin alone, and it did not decrease the antipsoriatic efficacy. The use of UV irradiation, either with anthralin or tar-anthralin combination, did not produce an additional therapeutic effect. These findings lead us to prefer combined tar-anthralin therapy because of its lower irritancy in comparison with anthralin alone and they show the ineffectiveness of additional UV irradiation under the conditions of this study.
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000875:Anthralin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003033:Coal Tar / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004890:Erythema / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D003033:Coal Tar; D000875:Anthralin