["Minute therapy" of psoriasis with dithranol and its modifications. A critical evaluation based on 315 patients]

A total of 315 psoriasis patients were treated on the basis of short-contact "minutes" therapy: 230 with 0.1-3% dithranol-2% salicylic acid-white soft vaseline (DSV) for 10-20 min daily; 85 patients in left-right comparison with modified therapeutic schemes. The object was to study the influence of concentration, contact time, psoriasis type, self-treatment at home, frequency of application, ointment base, and the admixture of corticosteroids on the efficacy of "minutes therapy." The clearing quotient for the individual psoriasis types was varied; it reached on an average 75% with a treatment period of 29.4 days. Even lower dithranol concentrations below 1% proved efficacious with part of the patients. Self-treatment at home and irregular applications diminished the efficacy. Neither prolongation of the contact time to 1 hr nor the addition of corticosteroids to dithranol did anything to improve the therapy results. The relapse-free period averaged 3.9 months. Undesirable irritation was avoided to a great extent by adjustment of the treatment intensity to individual tolerances. The simultaneous application of dithranol and corticosteroids did not hinder or diminish the dithranol erythema. For additional safety, a preliminary test treatment can be confined to a limited area for 1 week. Fortunately, the staining due to dithranol brown can be reliably removed from certain textiles and from the bath tub or shower cabin by the use of hypochlorite.