Treatment of psoriasis with retinoids: present status

Oral retinoids such as etretinate/acitretin are well established for the treatment of severe generalized psoriasis. They are particularly useful for the management of pustular and erythrodermic variants and plaque-type psoriasis because they act synergistically with many other topical antipsoriatic agents (corticosteroids, anthralin, tar, and phototherapies). Oral regimens are dose-dependent, and, if carefully administered, are manageable and tolerable. Long-term toxicity is rare; however, teratogenicity restricts the use of oral retinoids and requires close monitoring in females. In recent years, a topical agent, tazarotene, has been developed and added to the armamentarium of psoriasis therapy.