Long-term proactive management of psoriasis with calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate foam: an Italian consensus through a combined nominal group technique and Delphi approach.

BACKGROUND: Although long-term management of psoriasis is paramount, this approach is challenging in clinical practice. In the recent PSO-LONG trial, a fixed-dose combination of betamethasone dipropionate (BD) and calcipotriol (Cal) foam applied twice a week on non-consecutive days for 52 weeks (proactive treatment) reduced the risk of relapse. However, the role of Cal/BD foam in the long-term management of psoriasis needs further clarifications. The ProActive Management (PAM) program, a nationwide Italian project, aims at reaching a consensus on the role of proactive management of psoriasis. METHODS: A steering committee generated some statements through the nominal group technique (NGT). The statements were voted by an expert panel in an adapted Delphi voting process. RESULTS: Eighteen statements were proposed, and the majority of them (14/18) reached a consensus during the Delphi voting. The need to provide long-term proactive topical treatment to reduce the risk of relapse for the treatment of challenging diseases sites or in patients where phototherapy or systemic therapies are contraindicated/ineffective was widely recognized. A consensus was reached about the possibility to associate the proactive treatment with systemic and biological therapies, without the need for dose intensification, thus favoring a prolonged remission. Moreover, the proactive treatment was recognized as more effective than weekend therapy in increasing time free from relapses. Approaches to improve adherence, on the other hand, need further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion in guidelines of a proactive strategy among the effective treatment options will be a fundamental step in the evolution of a mild-moderate psoriasis therapeutic approach.

Dermoscopic and Clinical Response Predictor Factors in Nonsegmental Vitiligo Treated with Narrowband Ultraviolet B Phototherapy: A Prospective Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION: Few data on possible local factors that can influence the achievement of response in nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV) treated with narrowband ultraviolet B (Nb-UVB) phototherapy are available. Our objective is to evaluate possible correlations between therapeutic outcomes and dermoscopic and local (lesional) clinical findings of vitiligous lesions undergoing Nb-UVB phototherapy to find positive and/or negative response predictor factors to such treatment. METHODS: For each target patch, we calculated the extension area using a computer-aided method and assessed dermoscopic and local (lesional) clinical findings at baseline. After 30 phototherapy sessions (twice weekly), surface area of the lesions was reevaluated to assess clinical improvement, correlating the therapeutic outcome with initial clinical and dermoscopic features. RESULTS: A total of 70 lesions were finally included in the study. At the end of therapy, 18 patches (25.7%) achieved improvement, and the presence of perifollicular pigmentation on baseline dermoscopic examination was found to be associated with a 12-fold higher probability of having a positive therapeutic outcome. Similarly, face localization was also correlated with clinical amelioration, with a sevenfold higher probability for improvement. No association (p > 0.05) between therapeutic outcomes (either good or poor) and other dermoscopic or local clinical variables (including leukotrichia) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic response of vitiligo to Nb-UVB phototherapy may be positively affected by local features of the lesions, i.e., face localization and presence of perifollicular pigmentation on baseline dermoscopic examination, which might be considered as positive response predictor factors to optimize treatment of vitiligo.

Clinical and dermoscopic response predictors in psoriatic patients undergoing narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy: results from a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Although disease severity, gender, body weight, and previous treatments have all been reported to affect clinical response of psoriasis vulgaris to narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) therapy, little information about possible local (lesional) influencing factors is available. OBJECTIVE: To assess correlations between clinical/dermoscopic findings of psoriatic plaques and therapeutic response to NB-UVB phototherapy in order to find positive and/or negative response predictor factors to such a treatment. METHODS: For each target lesion, we calculated local psoriasis severity index and assessed dermoscopic findings at the baseline. After 8 weeks of treatment, we evaluated clinical improvement of each lesion, correlating the therapeutic outcome with initial clinical and dermoscopic features. RESULTS: Ninety-eight target lesions from 27 patients were included in the study. After 8 weeks of therapy, 31 lesions experienced no/limited improvement, while partial response was observed in 40 plaques and optimal response in 27 lesions. Regarding clinical variables, we found an association between poor therapeutic outcomes and both legs localization and more marked lesion scaling/infiltration. Similarly, globular vessels on dermoscopy were more commonly associated with no/limited response as well as lesions localized on the legs, particularly those showing treatment resistance. Conversely, the presence of dotted vessels carried a higher probability for getting improvement. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic response of psoriasis vulgaris to NB-UVB treatment may be negatively affected by local clinical factors, that is, significant scaling/infiltration and legs localization, and dermoscopy may be useful in highlighting possible response predictors, with globular and dotted vessels associated with bad and good outcomes, respectively.