A comparison of bathwater and oral delivery of 8-methoxypsoralen in PUVA therapy for plaque psoriasis

Bath-PUVA is an alternative to oral-PUVA for the treatment of psoriasis. This study compares the effectiveness of the two methods in two groups, each consisting of 17 patients with plaque psoriasis. Three patients who failed to improve with oral-PUVA were transferred to bath-PUVA and subsequently cleared. Another seven patients who returned with a further episode of psoriasis received the alternative treatment; this gave a group of 10 patients in whom a cross-over comparison was possible. In both comparisons bath-PUVA was as effective as, or more effective than, oral-PUVA and required, overall, less than 50% of the total UVA, although this saving was not as great as in previous reports, Bath-PUVA caused fewer immediate problems and was preferred by many patients. It is suitable for those taking other systemic medications and we recommend it as a valuable therapeutic option that should be available at all treatment centres.