BACKGROUND: The treatment options for nail psoriasis have been limited, and the management of nail psoriasis has been challenging for physicians. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of pulsed dye laser (PDL) in the treatment of nail psoriasis. METHODS: Psoriatic nails of five patients were treated using PDL (595 nm) once monthly for 3 months. The pulse duration was 1.5 ms, the beam diameter was 7 mm, and the laser energy was 8.0 to 10.0 J/cm(2). Clinical efficacy was statistically evaluated according to Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) score differences before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of NAPSI scores before and after treatment showed significant difference (p<.05, paired t-test). The nail bed lesions, particularly onycholysis and subungual hyperkeratosis, responded best to the treatment. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include the lack of blinding and comparison and the small number of patients. CONCLUSION: PDL might be an alternative treatment for nail psoriasis. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.
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Oram et al. (2010) studied this question.
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