title: Treatment of localized psoriasis with a topical formulation of zinc pyrithione.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is a common chronic condition of the skin that is resistant to many therapies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the efficacy of a topical formulation of zinc pyrithione in an emollient base compared with an emollient alone in the treatment of psoriasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized double-blind clinical trial. Patients with localized psoriasis involving less than 10% of body skin areas were enrolled in the study. They were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups. Group A was treated with emollient cream containing 0.25% zinc pyrithione and group B was treated with emollient cream alone twice daily for 3 months. Response to treatment was assessed using PASI scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 60 participants, 30 patients in group A and 30 patients in group B completed the study. The mean PASI scores before and after treatment were 3.4±1.8 and 0.9±1.3 in group A (p<0.01), and 4.3±2 and 3.9±1.3 in group B (p>0.05), and there was a significant difference between the two groups' mean PASI scores at the end of the study (p<0.01). The differences in the mean PASI scores before and after treatment were 2.4±2 and 0.4±0.1 in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A topical formulation of zinc pyrithione can be used to treat localized psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Skin Disease and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. sadeghian@sdlrc.mui.ac.ir
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sadeghian
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ziaei
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nilforoushzadeh
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004643:Emollients; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004643:Emollients; D007641:Keratolytic Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011725:Pyridines; C010423:pyrithione zinc