Oral retinoid for psoriasis. A report of a double blind study.

Oral administration of an aromatic retinoid has a marked beneficial effect on psoriasis and does not produce significant changes in liver function or the blood count when given at a dose of 25 mgm three times a day for six weeks. This effect does not occur unless the drug has produced dermatological side-effects and this may inhibit its future acceptance but the present findings indicate that, at least in the less developed parts of the world where many Western treatments are unacceptable for various reasons, oral retinoids are a useful and relatively safe addition to the present range of medications available for psoriasis.