The effect of maintenance narrow-band ultraviolet B therapy on the duration of remission for XXXX : a prospective randomized clinical trial.

@entity1 @entity1569
BACKGROUND: Narrow-band (311 nm) UVB is an effective treatment modality for moderate to severe @entity1569 . The effect of maintenance narrow-band UVB on the duration of remission is unknown. AIM: To determine whether maintenance narrow-band UVB affects the duration of remission. METHODS: After clinically significant improvement [defined as 75% reduction in the initial Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) = "PASI 75"], @entity1 were randomly assigned to one of two groups, namely maintenance and no maintenance. The first group received 2 months of maintenance therapy; the second group received no further treatment. Both groups were followed up for 1 year. RESULTS: At the end of 12 weeks, 46 of 50 @entity1 (92%) achieved "PASI 75". Of these 46 @entity1 , 32 had @entity1569 and 14 had guttate-type @entity1569 . The numbers of @entity1 assigned to the maintenance and no maintenance groups were 22 and 24, respectively. At the end of the study, 12 of the 22 @entity1 (55%) in the maintenance group and, by contrast, eight of the 24 @entity1 (33%) in the no maintenance group were still in remission. When the @entity1 in both groups were categorized according to the type of @entity1569 , eight of 14 (57%) @entity1 with @entity1569 in the maintenance group and, by contrast, three of 18 (17%) in the no maintenance group were still in remission. Although numerically significant, life-table analysis indicated no statistically significant difference for the probability of remaining in remission between maintenance and no maintenance groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide some evidence that maintenance narrow-band UVB may achieve longer remission durations for @entity1 with @entity1569 .
