Unconventional treatment options in psoriasis: A review.

Psoriasis is a common skin disease that affects 1-3% of the general population. The treatment depends on body surface area involved, quality of life impairment and associated comorbidities. The treatment options include topical therapy, phototherapy, conventional systemic therapy (methotrexate, cyclosporine and acitretin), biologics and oral small molecules (apremilast and tofacitinib). Despite the availability of newer therapies such as biologics and oral small molecules, many a time, there is a paucity of treatment options due to the chronic nature of the disease, end-organ toxicity of the conventional drugs or high cost of newer drugs. In these scenarios, unconventional treatment options may be utilized as stand-alone or adjuvant therapy. In this review, we have discussed these uncommonly used treatment options in the management of psoriasis.

Livedoid Vasculopathy with Hyperhomocysteinemia Responding to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

A 30-year-old male presented to the dermatology department with complaints of multiple ulcers over both legs of 6 years duration. The ulcers had a waxing and waning course with present exacerbation of lesions since 1 month. Dermatological examination revealed multiple ulcers distributed in a reticular pattern over medial and lateral aspects of both lower legs, extensor aspect of both ankles and dorsum of both feet. Multiple interspersed atrophic porcelain white scars were also present. Investigations revealed raised serum homocysteine levels. A skin biopsy from the ulcers showed features of livedoid vasculopathy. Following recurrence of lesions after oral corticosteroid therapy, the patient was given a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the ulcers to which he responded very well. This case is being presented for the novel option of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in livedoid vasculopathy, which by itself is rarely reported in this part of the world.

Vitamin D Deficiency After Oral Retinoid Therapy for Ichthyosis.

Oral retinoids are being increasingly used to treat ichthyotic disorders in children. We report on two children with ichthyotic disorders who developed unusual manifestations after they were started on oral retinoids. The first case is a 10-year-old girl with nonbullous ichthyosiform erythroderma and the second is a 2-year-old girl with lamellar ichthyosis. The child with ichthyosiform erythroderma developed features of rickets within months of initiation of systemic retinoids. Her baseline examination before initiation of oral retinoids was normal. The second patient with lamellar ichthyosis was found to have low vitamin D levels after 6 months of retinoid therapy, and prompt supplementation reversed the levels in 2 months. These cases are being reported to bring attention to the probable need for initiation of vitamin D supplementation with systemic retinoid therapy in ichthyotic disorders in children.