Psoriasis - Treatment

Oral and Injected Therapy

Some doctors use the Koo-Menter Psoriasis Instrument (KMPI) to decide which patients should receive a pill (oral) or an injection. The KMPI?s questions include

Does psoriasis cover at least 5% of the patient?s body?
Is the patient disabled by psoriasis?
Does psoriasis affect the patient?s quality of life?

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If the answer to these questions is ?yes,? an additional three questions are considered:

Is light therapy inappropriate for the patient?
Is the patient?s psoriasis resistant to light therapy?
Does the patient have psoriatic arthritis?

If the answer to these questions is ?yes,? a doctor may decide to prescribea pillor injected drugs.

Combination Therapies

Combinations of pills, creams and ointments, and phototherapy are increasingly used rather than single agents. Combinations of oral agents are particularly useful since the doses of each one can be reduced, thereby lowering the risk for severe side effects. Thousands of combinations are possible, and the patient anddoctor should discuss the most beneficial for individual needs.