Dithranol short-contact treatment of scalp psoriasis

Abstract

Background: Scalp psoriasis is often rather therapy-resistant and very patient-impairing. There are not many alternative treatments when descaling ointments and corticosteroids fail. Dithranol short-contact therapy is a very effective treatment for psoriatic lesions on the body, but little is known about its usefulness for the treatment of scalp psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: We studied the efficacy and side-effects of dithranol short-contact treatment of scalp psoriasis. METHODS: Included in the study were 13 patients with moderate to severe therapy-resistant psoriasis of the scalp. We used the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) to assess the clinical efficacy. All reported side-effects were registered. The treatment was evaluated by the patients by means of a multiple choice questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 13 patients, 12 completed the treatment. Six showed good results (clearance >80%), two showed moderate results (clearance 40-80%) and four showed bad results (clearance <40%). The mean clearance after treatment was 58% and after 3 months of follow-up it was still 55.8%. Nine different side-effects were reported, but none resulted in interruption of treatment for more than 2 days. It can be concluded that dithranol short-contact therapy is worth trying as an alternative in the treatment of scalp psoriasis in a selected group of patients in whom descaling ointments and topical corticosteroids are not effective.