TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of the efficacy of acitretin therapy for nail psoriasis
AU - Tosti, Antonella
AU - Ricotti, Carlos
AU - Romanelli, Paolo
AU - Cameli, Norma
AU - Piraccini, Bianca Maria
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of ac-itretin in patients with isolated nail psoriasis. Design: Open study involving 36 patients with moderate to severe nail psoriasis treated with acitretin. Setting: University-based outpatient dermatology clinic specializing in nail diseases. Patients: A total of 27 men and 9 women (mean age, 41 years) with nail psoriasis. Intervention: Therapy consisted of acitretin, 0.2 to 0.3 mg/kg/d, for 6 months. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical evaluation, and Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) and modified NAPSI scores before therapy, every 2 months during therapy, and 6 months after treatment. Results: The mean percentage of reduction of the NAPSI score after treatment was 41%; the mean percentage of reduction of the modified NAPSI score of the target nail was 50%. Clinical evaluation at 6 months showed complete or almost complete clearing of the nail lesions in 9 patients (25%), moderate improvement in 9 (25%), mild improvement in 12 (33%), and no improvement in 6 (11%). Conclusion: Results from low-dose acitretin therapy show NAPSI score reductions comparable with those studies evaluating biologic drugs for nail psoriasis and suggest that low-dose systemic acitretin should be considered in the treatment of nail psoriasis.
AB - Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of ac-itretin in patients with isolated nail psoriasis. Design: Open study involving 36 patients with moderate to severe nail psoriasis treated with acitretin. Setting: University-based outpatient dermatology clinic specializing in nail diseases. Patients: A total of 27 men and 9 women (mean age, 41 years) with nail psoriasis. Intervention: Therapy consisted of acitretin, 0.2 to 0.3 mg/kg/d, for 6 months. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical evaluation, and Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) and modified NAPSI scores before therapy, every 2 months during therapy, and 6 months after treatment. Results: The mean percentage of reduction of the NAPSI score after treatment was 41%; the mean percentage of reduction of the modified NAPSI score of the target nail was 50%. Clinical evaluation at 6 months showed complete or almost complete clearing of the nail lesions in 9 patients (25%), moderate improvement in 9 (25%), mild improvement in 12 (33%), and no improvement in 6 (11%). Conclusion: Results from low-dose acitretin therapy show NAPSI score reductions comparable with those studies evaluating biologic drugs for nail psoriasis and suggest that low-dose systemic acitretin should be considered in the treatment of nail psoriasis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=62649090663&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=62649090663&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1001/archdermatol.2008.600
DO - 10.1001/archdermatol.2008.600
M3 - Article
C2 - 19289755
AN - SCOPUS:62649090663
VL - 145
SP - 269
EP - 271
JO - A. M. A. archives of dermatology and syphilology
JF - A. M. A. archives of dermatology and syphilology
SN - 2168-6068
IS - 3
ER -