title: Balneophototherapy of psoriasis: highly concentrated salt water versus tap water--a randomized, one-blind, right/left comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Apart from climatotherapy and spa therapy, combined treatment with salt water baths and artificial UV radiation (balneophototherapy) has been advocated for the treatment of psoriasis. As there is a lack of controlled studies on balneophototherapy (BPT), we conducted a randomized, one-blind, right/left comparison with salt water versus tap water in order to investigate the significance of the salt concentration in the efficacy of BPT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten psoriasis patients with chronic plaques on the elbows were included in the study. One elbow was soaked in 24% NaCl solution and the other in tap water. Subsequently, broadband UVB irradiation was administered. BPT was performed 4 times weekly with a total of 30 treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A highly significant (P<0.001) decrease of the clinical baseline score was observed after 30 treatments; however, there was no significant (P>0.5) difference in clearance of the psoriatic lesions between the sites soaked in salt water and tap water.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that any additional benefit of soaking in salt water and tap water in BPT are unlikely to be due to the salinity of the liquids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Rödermark, Germany. t.gambichler@derma.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gambichler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rapp
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Senger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Altmeyer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001452:Balneology / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010789:Phototherapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000628:therapy*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride