title: Safety and effectiveness of an aggressive and individualized bath-PUVA regimen in the treatment of psoriasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The optimal therapeutic regimen of bath-PUVA therapy of psoriasis is still under debate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the safety and efficacy of an aggressive and individualized bath-PUVA regimen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two closely matched groups of 22 psoriatic patients were treated either with 30-min baths in 0.0003% 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) aqueous solution or oral administration of the drug. According to the standard European regimen, treatments were delivered 4 times a week starting with the minimal phototoxic dose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete clearing or marked improvement was observed in all the patients. However, with bath-PUVA, the same therapeutic effect required smaller cumulative UVA doses (39.3 +/- 15.8 vs. 123.8 +/- 39.9 J/cm2) and lower numbers of exposures (15.2 +/- 4.4 vs. 20.6 +/- 4.2). Both differences were significant at the 0.01 level (Student's t test). Gastro-intestinal side-effects were of course restricted to oral 8-MOP. The incidences of burns and pruritus were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using an aggressive and individualized schedule, bath-PUVA therapy showed a greater efficacy than oral PUVA therapy while being just as safe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology Brescia University Hospital, Italy.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Calzavara-Pinton
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ortel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hönigsmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zane
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Panfilis
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001494:Baths; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008730:Methoxsalen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011701:PUVA Therapy / Q000379:methods; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D008730:Methoxsalen