OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLES - THE REVIVAL OF ANTHRALIN

Anthralin has been a consistently effective drug for the treatment of psoriasis for more than 80 years, but has not enjoyed common use in th e United States because of the unwanted side effects of irritation and staining. New treatment methods such as short-contact therapy and inn ovative vehicle formulations minimizing these problems have allowed an thralin once again to be used effectively in psoriatic treatment progr ams. We review these newer adaptations and suggest that the enduring m odality deserves an important place in the topical armamentarium.