title: What is the most common phototherapy prescription for psoriasis: NB-UVB or PUVA? Prescription behavior.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Moderate and severe forms of psoriasis require phototherapy and / or systemic medications. Both UVA and UVB can be used to treat cases of moderate and severe psoriasis, and the effectiveness of both has been proven.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to access the prescription behavior relating to two types of phototherapy for treating psoriasis refractory to topical treatment: narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) or psoralen plus UVA phototherapy (PUVA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2006 and December 2007, patients referred to two phototherapy services were included in this study. Data on the cases and on the type of prescription were collected retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 67 studied patients, 51 (76%) were treated with narrowband UVB. The reasons for the indication were the presence of the guttate type of psoriasis (22%), the presence of thin plaques (15%), the use of drugs that affected photosensitivity (15%), age less than 20 years (9%), skin type I (9%), and liver disease (6%). The remaining 16 (24%) were treated with PUVA. The main indication for this therapy was the severity of the disease (15%), followed by the presence of skin type IV (9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prescriptions of narrowband UVB exceeded those of PUVA because of fewer contraindications and fewer possible side effects, and because it was a more practical option.
authors: Faculdade de Medicina da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Santa Casa de São Paulo, SP, Brazil. idaduarte@terra.com.br
authors: Ida
authors: I
authors: Duarte
authors: José Antonio Jabur da
authors: JA
authors: Cunha
authors: Roberta Buense
authors: RB
authors: Bedrikow
authors: Rosana
authors: R
authors: Lazzarini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011701:PUVA Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult