Clinical management of psoriasis: principles and practice

A chronic condition that compromises many patients' quality of life, psoriasis is treatable with a range of agents, either alone or in combination. Clinical management strategies using these therapies can be organized as a stepped-care approach. For mild disease, corticosteroids and other topical therapies (step 1) are often appropriate. When lesions are more pronounced or extensive, phototherapy (step 2) is often the treatment of choice, and topical treatments or the step 3 agent acitretin can be added to enhance or accelerate therapeutic responses. Step 3 agents, which also include cyclosporine and methotrexate, may be contemplated when psoriasis is moderate or severe. Acitretin may cause acute adverse effects, including mucocutaneous effects, which can be avoided by reducing dosage. Methotrexate treatment can lead to bone marrow suppression and hepatotoxicity, and cyclosporine can cause nephrotoxicity. The clinical uses of these agents are illustrated in part through case presentations drawn from the authors' practices, and the supportive role of the National Psoriasis Foundation is reviewed.