Goeckerman therapy: a very effective, yet often forgotten treatment for severe generalized psoriasis

As early as 1925, patients suffering from psoriasis have been effectively treated with combination crude coal tar and ultraviolet B radiation, commonly known as Goeckerman therapy. Even though the efficacy of Goeckerman therapy is as good as, if not better than, other more recently available treatment options, its use virtually disappeared after extended inpatient therapies became no longer feasible in the USA. Our clinic at the University of California San Francisco is one of the few outpatient dermatologic clinics that still offer Goeckerman therapy. We present a case report of a patient with severe generalized plaque-type psoriasis, who demonstrated dramatic improvement within 28 days of Goeckerman therapy. It is our hope that this case report serves to remind physicians that Goeckerman therapy is viable treatment option for patients with severe psoriasis, especially those with treatment-resistant psoriasis.