Psoriasis treated with clobetasol propionate and photochemotherapy

Comparable lesions in 16 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with clobetasol propionate or placebo ointments for 1 week before beginning photochemotherapy. The greater improvement of the steroid treated lesions was maintained after the ointment was withdrawn and there was a mean period of 31 days before those treated with placebo showed a comparable response to photochemotherapy. By the end of the study 8 patients were completely free of psoriasis, healing being achieved after a mean of 7.2 photochemotherapy treatments on the steroid treated lesions compared with 13.5 where a placebo ointment was used. No patient had any adverse reaction to treatment.