We at Brookside Dermatology Associates are the regional experts in psoriasis. We offer a variety of different approaches to treating psoriasis:
- Narrowband UVB light therapy
- Excimer laser therapy
- “PUVA” therapy (psoralen + UVA light)
We prescribe all available medicines for psoriasis, as appropriate given a patient’s specific circumstances
Potential access to clinical trials (add hyperlink?) if patients meet the criteria required by the trials
What is psoriasis and what can I do for it?
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease of the skin that affects approximately 2-3% of the United States population. It causes red, scaly lesions on the skin that often itch and burn.
There are a variety of available treatments for psoriasis, depending on the extent of the disease and also on whether a patient has responded to different therapies in the past. Topical therapy with creams, ointments, or sprays can improve many patients’ psoriasis. When this is not effective, individual lesions can be injected with medicine. Alternatively, ultraviolet light therapy has an excellent success rate, using either booths that treat the whole body or lasers that treat more localized areas of skin.
When patients fail to respond to these therapies, a variety of oral and injectable treatments (called biologic and systemic medicines) are available. Systemic therapies include Methotrexate, Soriatane, Otezla, and Cyclosporine. Currently approved biologic therapies for psoriasis include Humira, Enbrel, Remicaide, Stelara, Taltz, Tremfaya and Cosentyx. Each has its own set of risks and benefits. A good resource to learn more about these medicines is the National Psoriasis Foundation website https://www.psoriasis.org.
A last note: In some patients psoriasis can be associated with inflammation in the joints called psoriatic arthritis. If you think you might have this condition, it is very important to be evaluated. Often dermatologists work in concert with doctors who specialize in treating joint diseases (rheumatologists) to help alleviate joint problems.
