Treatment of psoriasis in the Nordic countries: A questionnaire survey from 5739 members of the psoriasis associations data from the Nordic quality of life study

The data from a questionnaire-based study of 5,739 members of the psoriasis associations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faeroe I slands showed that the two most commonly used active agents were topical st eroids (89.7% total use and 49.4% present use) and calcipotriol (73.1% tota l use and 35.8% present use), with only small variations between the countr ies. Marked differences between the countries were, However, found within a ll other types of psoriasis therapy, including the so-called alternative tr eatments. Significant priorities varied between the different countries. Th e use of dithranol in Finland was almost twice the average. While 14.2% of Danish members had received grenz-rays within the last week only 0.1% of th e Finns had been given the same treatment. Psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUV A) was being used by 13.1% of the Finnish psoriatics compared with 3.8% of Danes, while PUVA was almost non-existent on the Faeroe Islands, The use of non-PUVA phototherapy was highest in Norway and Sweden, Almost 10% of the Danes were presently on methotrexate, which was used far more than etretina te/acitretin or cyclosporine. Tn contrast, Finnish patients more often rece ived etretinate than other systemic agents,, and in Iceland there mas a hig her present use of cyclosporine than of etretinate; The popularity of alter native therapies mas highest in Iceland, where 26.6% had taken such medicat ion during the last week. The results of the study suggest that different t reatment patterns should be taken into consideration when discussing the pr ognosis of psoriasis in different countries.