Tazarotene 0.1% gel in combination with mometasone furoate cream in plaque psoriasis: a photographic tracking study.

A photographic tracking study was performed to facilitate a visual evaluation of the effect of treating psoriatic lesions in a clinical setting with tazarotene 0.05% gel, tazarotene 0.1% gel, tazarotene 0.1% gel plus mometasone furoate as needed for irritation, or tazarotene 0.1% gel plus mometasone furoate. Tazarotene was administered once daily in the evening, and mometasone furoate was administered once daily in the morning, for 12 weeks or until clearance if this occurred first. A total of twenty patients were enrolled in this open-label study. Rates of treatment success (50% or greater improvement in psoriasis) were higher with tazarotene 0.1% monotherapy compared with tazarotene 0.05% monotherapy, and were higher still when tazarotene was used in combination with mometasone furoate. Concurrent use of this steroid also enhanced speed of efficacy, patient satisfaction, and tolerability. Furthermore, long periods of remission were achieved in patients treated with combination tazarotene plus corticosteroid therapy. These findings suggest that tazarotene plus a mid-potency topical corticosteroid is a valuable first-line treatment option for stable plaque psoriasis.