Short contact dithranol therapy: advantages of a stiff emulsifying ointment base.

In a single blind trial, 16 in-patients with psoriasis were treated with short contact dithranol in stiff Lassar's paste and in a stiff emulsifying ointment base of equivalent stiffness. The preparations were equally effective in clearing psoriasis and well tolerated. Perilesional treatment burns, reported with soft ointments, were not seen with the stiff emulsifying ointment preparation. Furthermore, unlike the paste, excess stiff emulsifying ointment can be removed by simply wiping with a moistened cloth, thus greatly facilitating home management of psoriasis.