'Ultra' Goeckerman Therapy for Psoriasis
Title: Modern modified 'ultra' Goeckerman therapy:
a PASI assessment of a very effective therapy for psoriasis resistant
to both prebiologic and biologic therapies.
Authors: Lee E and Koo J.
Publication: J Dermatolog Treat. 2005 Apr;16(2):102-7.
Introduced by Dr. Goeckerman in 1930s, modern modified Goeckerman
therapy has shown increased efficacy due to improvements in technology,
such as narrowband ultraviolet B, and the addition of other safe
therapeutic options for treating psoriasis.
In this study, the authors followed 25 psoriasis patients for
approximately 6 months from admission to discharge or end of treatment.
95% of patients reached PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index)
75 by 8 weeks and all 100% reached this level by 12 weeks. Most
of the patients were discharged within 2 months.
The author concluded that the onset of treatment effect was very
quick and that Goeckerman therapy remained a valuable treatment
for psoriasis.
Editor’s Note: Gockerman treatment is considered one of
the safest and most effective treatment for moderate to severe
psoriasis. It combines coal tar ointment with phototherapy or
light therapy using narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) light. The
exact mechanism of how coal tar works is not yet known, it is
thought that it can decrease inflammation and slow the growth
of skin cells. UVB light also slow the growth of skin cells, and
it does so with less risk of skin cancer associated with ultraviolet
A (UVA) light.
