An Exploration of the Pulmonary Complication of the Treatment in Psoriatic Patients Receiving Topical, PUVA and Methotrexate Therapy

Abstract

Background: In Bangladesh the prevalence rate of psoriasis is 1.49%. Although this rate of prevalence rate is not so high but in patient’s traditional treatment procedure, physicians have to aware about the exploration of the pulmonary complication of the treatment in psoriatic patients receiving topical, PUVA and Methotrexate Therapy. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to compare the lung function test results among the psoriatic patients receiving topical, PUVA and Methotrexate therapy in order to explore the pulmonary complication of the treatment. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Shahbag, Dhaka, from July 2012 to June 2013. A total number of 120 subjects were selected, among which 30 were apparently healthy subjects (control group-A) for comparison and 90 were diagnosed male Psoriatic patients (study Group-B). Controls were selected from the community and the patients from the Indoor and Out Patient Department (OPD) of Dermatology and Venereology, BSMMU, Dhaka. Based on treatment, these study subjects were further divided into three groups consists of 30 male subjects in each group. These were group B1 (30 diagnosed male Psoriatic patient receiving only topical therapy), B2 (30 male Psoriatic patients receiving PUVA therapy, B3 (30 male Psoriatic patients receiving Methotrexate therapy). Results: In this study, all the control subjects (A) were with normal lung function tests (LFT). On the contrary, 19, 20 and 29 psoriatic patients were with abnormal lung function tests in the experimental groups B1, B2 and B3 respectively. The results were shown in Table IV. Decreased FVC was detected in patients of Psoriasis belonged to total 48(53.33%) out of 90 patients. Among them 10(33.33%) were in group B1, 13 (43.33%) in group B2 and 25 (83.33%) in group B3. Decreased FEV1 was detected in patients of Psoriasis belonged to total 43(47.78%) out of 90 patien