Abstract
The Goeckerman regimen is a unique combination therapy of UVB light and application of crude coal tar for the treatment of psoriasis, eczema, prurigo nodularis, and chronic pruritus. Coal tar is speculated to be an anti-inflammatory and a photosensitizer that can increase the effectiveness of phototherapy. In the Goeckerman regimen, patients first undergo UVB phototherapy per protocol. Then their body is covered in crude coal tar under plastic occlusion for 4–5 h. This is repeated daily, 5 days per week, for approximately 6 weeks. The efficacy of Goeckerman is superior to most other available therapies. For example, 100% of patients with severe psoriasis achieve 75% improvement or better from baseline by 12 weeks. Side effects include those of phototherapy (erythema, burning, and tanning), as well as irritation and folliculitis from tar products.
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Koo, J., Nakamura, M. (2017). Goeckerman Therapy for the Treatment of Severe Generalized Psoriasis. In: Clinical Cases in Phototherapy. Clinical Cases in Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51599-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51599-1_4
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