Successful treatment of nail psoriasis with topical roflumilast: A case report

Abstract

Nail psoriasis occurs in approximately half of all cases of plaque psoriasis and manifests with onychodystrophy, which includes morphological features of onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis, oil drop sign, pitting, splinter hemorrhages, leukonychia, and crumbling of the nails. Nail psoriasis can have a significant adverse impact on quality of life. However, nail psoriasis is often refractory to both local and systemic therapies, making it challenging to treat. Topical and oral phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors have been successfully used to treat multiple different subtypes of psoriasis. Topical roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor cream, has recently received United States Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada approval for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. In this case report, a 25-year-old female with a 20-year history of nail psoriasis achieved complete resolution of her onychodystrophy after 5 months of daily application of topical roflumilast, without experiencing any side effects. This case report suggests that topical roflumilast may be a useful and well-tolerated therapy for psoriatic nails.