Topical use of calcitriol 3 µg/g ointment in the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis: results from an open-label study.

Background Calcitriol is the active metabolite and hormonal analogue of vitamin D3. It is widely used for the topical treatment of psoriasis showing good tolerability and effectiveness. Objectives To assess the efficacy, tolerability and safety of calcitriol 3 µg/g ointment in mild to moderate plaque psoriasis involving sensitive areas. Methods Sixty patients with a body surface area < 35% were enrolled into a prospective open label clinical study. Patients were treated for 12 weeks with a twice daily calcitriol 3 µg/g topical ointment application. Efficacy and safety were assessed during the therapy and during a 6-month follow-up period. Results The study demonstrated a high clinical remission rate which progressively increased throughout therapy (11.6% at week 4, 28.3% at week 8 and 63.3% at week 12). No serious adverse events and clinically relevant changes of calcium/phosphorus homeostasis were reported. Conclusions The study suggests that calcitriol 3 µg/g ointment, applied twice daily, is an effective topical treatment for chronic psoriatic plaques involving less than 35% of the body surface and sensitive areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]