Narrowband UV-B (TL-01) phototherapy vs oral 8-methoxypsoralen psoralen-UV-A for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of narrowband UV-B (TL-01) phototherapy with oral 8-methoxypsoralen photochemotherapy (8-MOP psoralen-UV-A [PUVA]) in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP). DESIGN Open, randomized, controlled study. SETTING Phototherapy unit in a dermatology hospital. PATIENTS Fifty-four patients with CCP. INTERVENTIONS Patients received whole-body threshold erythemogenic dose of either 3-times weekly TL-01 or twice-weekly oral 8-MOP PUVA, based on minimal erythema or phototoxic doses. Patients were treated until completely clear. OUTCOME MEASURES Number of treatments to clear, number of days in treatment, number of days in remission, and adverse effects of both therapies were assessed. RESULTS Forty-five patients completed the study. Those in the PUVA group required significantly fewer treatments to clear (P =.03). There was no significant difference in the number of days to clear or number of days in remission. A similar percentage of patients in the TL-01 and PUVA groups developed minimal perceptible erythema, showing that the regimens were equally erythemogenic. Asymptomatic, well-defined erythema occurred only in the PUVA group. Pruritus and polymorphic light eruption occurred equally in both groups, but only patients in the PUVA group developed nausea. CONCLUSION Narrowband UV-B phototherapy, used 3 times weekly, is as effective for the treatment of CPP as oral 8-MOP PUVA used twice weekly.