TREATMENT OF PSORIASIS AT A DEAD-SEA DERMATOLOGY-CLINIC

Background. The Dead Sea, with its unique optical, chemical, and atmos pheric properties, provides an effective alternative treatment for pso riasis. Methods. The records of 1448 consecutive psoriasis patients tr eated at a Dead Sea psoriasis clinic were retrospectively evaluated co ncerning their treatment response and demographic characteristics. Res ults. Clearing of 80-100% was observed in 88% of the patients treated, including almost 58%, who had complete clearing. The demographic data studied that included gender, previous treatment at the Dead Sea, pri or history of hospitalization for psoriasis, prior PUVA treatment, or a history of arthritis did not reveal any significant relationships, a lthough overseas patients responded considerably better than Israelis. Conclusions. The overall response in a large cohort of psoriasis pati ents treated at the Dead Sea was excellent. Further prospective studie s and basic investigations are essential to understand the mechanism(s ) involved and the relationships between other demographic data and th e treatment response.