Defining and treating moderate plaque psoriasis: a dermatologist survey
Purpose: Patients with moderate plaque psoriasis are often undertreated and may experience unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. Undertreatment may stem partly from a lack of consensus on the definition of moderate psoriasis and appropriate treatments for patients with moderate disease severity. Materia...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Dermatological Treatment |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2018.1443200 |
| Summary: | Purpose: Patients with moderate plaque psoriasis are often undertreated and may experience unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. Undertreatment may stem partly from a lack of consensus on the definition of moderate psoriasis and appropriate treatments for patients with moderate disease severity. Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted during October 2015 to determine how US dermatologists in the clinical setting define and treat moderate psoriasis. Results: A total of 150 dermatologists responded to the survey (mean time in practice: 13.5 years). On average, they saw 72 patients with psoriasis per month; 40% of these patients were considered to have moderate psoriasis. Most (95%) reported assessing disease severity based on the percentage of psoriasis-affected body surface area (BSA); 59% also considered location of the affected area. BSA cutoffs used to define moderate psoriasis varied widely (median low and high cutoffs: 5–10%; range: 1–70%). Similarly, wide variation in cutoff ranges was observed for the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Physician Global Assessment (PGA), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Primary therapy comprised biologics (47%), prescription topicals (28%), and oral systemics (18%). Conclusions: The current findings indicate lack of consensus surrounding the definition of moderate psoriasis among US dermatologists. |
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| ISSN: | 0954-6634 1471-1753 |