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Christopher S. Carlin, MD; Kristina P. Callis, MD; Gerald G. Krueger, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2003;139:436-442.

Objective  To assess the efficacy of acitretin and commercial tanning bed therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis.

Design  Retrospective medical record review and telephone survey of subjects and prospective open-label trial.

Setting  University dermatology clinic.

Patients  The study population comprised 26 subjects in the retrospective study and 17 subjects in the prospective study, all with moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis.

Intervention  Twelve weeks of daily oral acitretin (25 mg) therapy and commercial tanning bed UV exposure (mean UV-B output of 4.7%) for 4 to 5 days per week.

Results  In the retrospective review, 19 (83%) of 23 subjects had clearance or near clearance, 2 (9%) of 23 had moderate improvement, and 2 (9%) of 23 had no improvement. Patients reported a high degree of satisfaction with the treatment. In the prospective trial, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and National Psoriasis Foundation scores decreased an average of 78.6% and 79.0% from baseline, respectively. A reduction from baseline in the PASI score of 50% and 75% (PASI 50 and PASI 75) was achieved by 13 (76%) and 10 (59%) patients, respectively. Adverse events were generally mild to moderate.

Conclusions  Acitretin use in combination with commercial tanning bed therapy appears to be effective and useful for psoriasis in areas without access to physician-directed phototherapy. The variability of tanning salon light and quality mandates caution when using this therapy.

From the Department of Dermatology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City. The authors have no relevant financial interest in this article.

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