Adherence to Topical Treatment Can Improve Treatment-Resistant Moderate Psoriasis

Most patients with psoriasis have limited disease that should be manageable with topical treatment. However, psoriasis often is resistant to topical treatment. The aim of our study was to determine if patients using psoriasis-resistant topical treatments can be effectively treated with topicals under conditions promoting adherence. During this open-label, randomized, single-center clinical study, 12 patients with moderate psoriasis that previously failed topical treatment were selected and treated with desoximetasone spray 0.25% for 2 weeks. Six patients were randomized to receive twice-daily telephone call reminders to further encourage good adherence. Disease severity was assessed by the visual analog scale for pruritus, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), total lesion severity score (TLSS), and investigator global assessment (IGA). At the end of the study, most patients improved in most scores. Therefore, apparent resistance to topical treatment often is due to poor adherence and can be overcome, at least over the short term.