Systemic chemotherapy for psoriasis: a national survey
P. R. Bergstresser, S. H. Schreiber and G. D. Weinstein
A questionnaire that was mailed to 510 randomly selected dermatologists in
the United States surveyed their use of three systemic chemotherapeutic
agents for the treatment of psoriasis during the two-year period of 1973 to
1974. Methotrexate was used by 52% of the surveyed dermatologists, while
hydroxyurea and azaribine were used by 10% and 2%, respectively.
Seventy-five percent of the dermatologists who used methotrexate treated
ten or fewer psoriatic patients with this drug. Multiple dose therapy with
methotrexate divided over a period of 36 hours each week was the preferred
schedule of 66% of the dermatologists. Liver biopsy specimens and
creatinine clearance tests were obtained for only 17% and 35% of patients,
respectively, prior to initiating methotrexate therapy. The estimated
number of dermatologist-treated psoriatics nationwide receiving
methotrexate is 25,000.