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Topical and Systemic Therapies for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis

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Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis

Abstract

Topical therapies are the most commonly prescribed agents for psoriasis, owing to their accessibility, relative safety, and rapid onset of action. However, topical therapies, such as corticosteroids, vitamin D analogs, tazarotene, and non-steroidal immunomodulators, have significant limitations. Their use as monotherapy for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis has largely been replaced by newer, more effective systemic therapies. Nevertheless, topical medications can be highly effective when used appropriately for mild psoriasis or as adjunctive therapy for other systemic treatments. Phototherapy, one of the oldest forms of treatment, remains an important and highly efficacious treatment for psoriasis. Oral systemic medications used in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis include methotrexate, cyclosporine, and acitretin. Newer oral medications and off-label medications such as apremilast, tofacitinib, and hydroxyurea round out the list of treatments that can be used to manage challenging psoriasis patients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Jason E. Hawkes MD

  2. Department of Dermatology, University of Utah, 30 N. 1900 E. 4A330 SOM, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA

    Kristina Callis Duffin MD

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  1. Jason E. Hawkes MD
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Correspondence to Kristina Callis Duffin MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    Adewale Adebajo

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 14, Switzerland

    Wolf-Henning Boehncke

  3. Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Dafna D. Gladman

  4. Seattle Rheumatology Associates, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Philip J. Mease

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Hawkes, J.E., Duffin, K.C. (2016). Topical and Systemic Therapies for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis. In: Adebajo, A., Boehncke, WH., Gladman, D., Mease, P. (eds) Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19530-8_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19530-8_26

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