Topical therapies are the mainstream treatment of psoriasis because most patients have mild disease. First-line treatments are vitamin D derivatives and corticosteroids. These treatments are usually given in combination schedules. For topical treatments the selection of the most appropriate vehicle is of major importance, thus improving adherence to the treatment, which frequently is impaired by the complexities of topical therapeutic choices. Evidence for efficacy and safety of topical treatments is readily available for vitamin D treatments and short-term treatment with corticosteroids. However, the scientific evidence for longer-term treatments is limited. Multiple new small molecules are in various stages of development and are reviewed.
Keywords: Calcipotriol; Calcitriol; Corticosteroids; Ditranol; Small molecules; Tar; Tazarotene.