300905 Lecture Notes - Lecture 61: Liver Function Tests, Ciclosporin, Psoriasis

• School: UWS
• Department: University of Western Sydney
• Course: 300905
• Professor: anonymous

Document Summary

Psoriasis resistant to topical treatment and phototherapy may be treated with systemic therapies including medications by mouth or injectable treatments. People undergoing systemic treatment must have regular blood and liver function tests to check for medication toxicities. Pregnancy must be avoided for most of these treatments. The majority of people experience a recurrence of psoriasis after systemic treatment is discontinued. Non-biologic systemic treatments frequently used for psoriasis include methotrexate, ciclosporin, hydroxycarbamide, fumarates such as dimethyl fumarate, and retinoids. Methotrexate and ciclosporin are medications that supress the immune system; retinoids are synthetic forms of vitamin a. These agents are also regarded as first-line treatments for psoriatic erythroderma. Oral corticosteroids should not be used, for they can severely flare psoriasis upon their discontinuation. Biologics are manufactured proteins that interrupt the immune process involved in psoriasis. Unlike generalized immunosuppressive medical therapies such as methotrexate, biologics target specific aspects of the immune system contributing to psoriasis.