Potential Review for the Treatment of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, relapsing, papulo-squamous dermatitis, with overlying silvery scales. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. Genetic and environmental factors play a important role in psoriasis. The most commonly affected sites are the scalp, elbows, knees, umbilicus, genitalia, sacrum and shins. Psoriasis affects 3% of the population of the world. First-line treatments are topical: emollients, dithranol, tar, deltanoids and corticosteroids. Second-line treatments have more side effects and include phototherapy and systemic drugs: methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin, hydroxycarbamide and fumarates. Biological therapies are costly and demonstrate immunosuppressant activity, and are currently reserved for patients unable to benefit from first-line and second-line modalities. We aim to briefly describe the biology of psoriasis, document the key features of treatments that are available or under development, and explain how these treatments can be used effectively to manage this chronic relapsing disease.