[PUVA and anthraline therapy of psoriasis, a clinical, histological and autoradiographic comparison]

Treatment of psoriasis with 8-Methoxypsoralen and long wave ultraviolet rays (UV-A) (PUVA) was carried out on 63 patients with severe psoriasis. 41 patients were given the medication orally, the other 22 had it applied locally. After 8.5 weeks, with an average of 25 radiations, about 54% of the patients were cleared of all symptoms or improved considerably. Histological and autoradiographical examinations were carried out to 10 of the orally treated patients. After three weeks of treatment we found a reduced H 3-thymidine-labelling-index (H 3-I) and a shortened DNA-synthesis-time (ts). The average cell cycle time (tc) was lengthened. The effect of PUVA is comparable to that of Anthralin therapy, but the clinical success and the length of treatment with the PUVA-method are inferior to those of the Anthralin-method. There we consider the Anthralin-method as used on in-patients at the Department of Dermatology at the University of Cologne, to be the more suitable method. The PUVA-method ist less complicated and its application easier for the physician as well for the patient, therefore we consider the PUVA-method more suitable for the treatment of out-patients.