[Exacerbation of psoriasis during alpha-interferon therapy].

In three female patients with metastasising malignant melanoma psoriasis exacerbated during the third week of treatment with recombinant interferon-alpha-2b, at a weekly dosage of three times 10 million IU. The psoriatic lesions vanished almost completely after discontinuing the drug and systemic administration of corticosteroids. It appears that induction of psoriasis exacerbation is yet another important side effect of interferon, at least at elevated doses, whereas low alpha-interferon dosage levels may improve psoriasis in nononcological patients.