[Photochemotherapy of psoriasis: increasing its effectiveness with an oral aromatic retinoid (clinical results in 134 patients) (author's transl)].

The effectiveness of photochemotherapy can be substantially increased by the concomitant administration of an oral aromatic retinoid. 134 patients with severe plaque-type or palmoplantar psoriasis were given various combined treatment schedules. In the initial (clearing) phase a significant synergistic effect was achieved if retinoid administration was started before photochemotherapy, and if the dose was 1.0 mg/kg body-weight. This shortened by half the time required in a control group given photochemotherapy alone (7.7 +/- 4.5 irradiation sessions within 14.1 +/- 8.6 days), and reduction of the total UVA energy necessary for complete clearing to one third (32.4 +/- 40.0 J/cm2). After clearing the patients received standard photochemotherapy maintanance treatment. The incidence of relapses observed during a 10-month follow-up was the same as that in patients cleared and maintained with photochemotherapy alone. Short courses of retinoid treatment in addition to photochemotherapy were highly effective in clearing patients who had failed to do so or had not been maintained in a cleared state on standard photochemotherapy.