title: Beauty and the Biologic: Artistic Documentation of Scientific Breakthrough in Psoriasis.
abstract: The making of wax moulages was an exclusive and sought-after art that was primarily used for teaching, but also to document clinical and laboratory research during the first half of the 20th century. Applying the technique of moulage-making to document a case of psoriasis improvement for posterity, a moulage of the trunk of a patient with psoriasis vulgaris was taken prior to treatment with biologics - adalimumab, a TNF-α antagonist - and again 3 month after adalimumab was first given. Our modern moulage shows in the most realistic way the science-driven improvement of psoriasis achievable nowadays with biologics. However, the real clinical picture of the disease is shrouded by showing only one detail of the patient - by accident the one with the best clinical improvement. All available techniques to document skin disease have advantages and limitations and nothing beats seeing live patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Julia-Tatjana
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Maul
authors.affiliation: Museum of Wax Moulages, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.affiliation: Museum of Wax Moulages, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stierlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland ; Museum of Wax Moulages, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Geiges
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Navarini
keywords: Biologics; Psoriasis; Wax moulage