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Yin-Ku Lin, MD; Chee-Jen Chang, PhD; Ya-Ching Chang, MD; Wen-Rou Wong, MD; Shu-Chen Chang, PhD; Jong-Hwei Su Pang, PhD

Arch Dermatol. 2008;144(11):1457-1464.

Objective  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment with indigo naturalis in patients with recalcitrant plaque-type psoriasis.

Design  Randomized, observer-blind, vehicle-controlled, intrapatient comparison study.

Setting  Ambulatory department of a hospital.

Participants  Forty-two outpatients with chronic plaque psoriasis were enrolled in the study from May 1, 2004, to April 30, 2005.

Intervention  The patients applied either indigo naturalis ointment or vehicle ointment topically to each of 2 bilaterally symmetrical psoriatic plaque lesions for 12 weeks (depending on the date of enrollment in the study).

Main Outcome Measures  The outcomes were assessed using the following criteria: the sum of erythema, scaling, and induration scores and the clearing percentage of the target plaque lesion assessed by 2 blinded observers.

Results  Significant reductions in the sum of scaling, erythema, and induration scores (P < .001) (mean score, 6.3 after indigo naturalis treatment vs 12.8 in control subjects) and plaque area percentage (P < .001) (mean percentage, 38.5% after indigo naturalis treatment vs 90% in controls) were achieved with topical application of indigo naturalis ointment. Approximately 31 of 42 patients (74%) experienced clearance or near clearance of their psoriasis in the indigo ointment–treated lesion.

Conclusion  Topical indigo naturalis ointment was a novel, safe, and effective therapy for plaque-type psoriasis.

Author Affiliations: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (Dr Lin), and Department of Dermatology (Drs Y.-C. Chang and Wong), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences (Drs Lin, C.-J. Chang, Wong, and Su Pang) and College of Medicine (Dr Y.-C. Chang), Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, and Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei (Dr S.-C. Chang), Taiwan.

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