[Peritoneal dialysis and leukopheresis in psoriasis: indications and contraindications]

Twenty-four patients with severe psoriasis were treated with continuous peritoneal dialysis and ten patients with repeated leukopheresis, with comparable clinical results: about 20%-30% of the patients had complete remission of the lesions during the therapy, about 40% showed spontaneous regression of above 50% of psoriatic lesions, and the remaining patients had some improvement. However, despite partial improvement during treatment, the psoriatic lesions of the patients that were previously unresponsive to any external and internal treatment disappeared within 2-3 weeks, after discontinuation of dialysis or leukopheresis, with the use of anthralin or tar ointments. Peritoneal dialysis and leukopheresis seem to be useful methods of treatment for especially resistent and widespread psoriasis in patients having contraindications to other methods, i.e., PUVA and/or aromatic retinoids.