The Effect of Methotrexate 1% Topical Gel on Psoriasis

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is one of the most important chronic inflammatory skin diseases, which affects about 3% of people all over the world. However, there is still no unique approach available for treatment of this disease, despite several studies which were performed regarding efficacy and safety of various drugs including methotrexate. Methods: This randomized double-blind study recruited 65 patients with documented psoriasis. Patients were randomly divided into two groups to receive a daily dose of topical gel of methotrexate 1% (group A) or placebo gel (group B) for two months. Patients were followed up to four months. Findings: There were 65 patients, 48 male (75.3%) and 17 female (24.7%), with the mean age of 31 ± 15.7 years and the mean disease duration of 5.5 ± 3.3 years. No significant difference was detected between the two groups of patients according to the response scale after four months. Conclusion: The present study showed that the topical gel methotrexate 1%, when prepared on a base of glycerin, is not effective in improvement of the psoriasis lesions and can not be considered as a first line treatment option in this disease.

Keywords

• Psoriasis
• Methotrexate
• Efficacy