Methotrexate-betamethasone weekly oral pulse in psoriasis.

Author(s): Gupta R, Gupta S

Affiliation(s): Department of Dermatology, Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, New Delhi, India. drramjigupta@yahoo.co.in

Publication date & source: 2007, J Dermatolog Treat., 18(5):291-4.

Publication type: Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES: Methotrexate in psoriasis helps to clear the lesions fast but remission is short. To produce long-term remission, methotrexate has been combined with betamethasone. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with psoriasis (plaque type: 36, erythrodermic: four) were included in an open randomized study. Twenty-eight patients received weekly 15 mg methotrexate and 3 mg betamethasone orally and 12 patients received weekly 15 mg methotrexate orally alone until the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores were reduced to 95-100% of the baseline scores. Follow-up was carried out until relapse of the lesions. RESULTS: Methotrexate combined with betamethasone orally weekly cleared the lesions in 27.13+/-2.39 (24.74-29.52) days with a remission period of 91.78+/-14.19 (77.59-105.97) days, whereas methotrexate alone took 33.09+/-5.61 (27.48-38.70) days to clear the lesions with a remission period of 20.30+/-2.50 (17.80-22.80) days. CONCLUSIONS: Methotrexate combined with betamethasone cleared the lesions faster and with a longer remission period compared with methotrexate alone.