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SHORT COMMUNICATION
Methotrexate Management in Psoriasis: Are We Following the Guidelines?
Tora LINDQVIST 1 , Louai A. SALAH 1,2 , Martin GILLSTEDT 1 , Ann-Marie WENNBERG 1 and Amra OSMANCEVIC 1
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, and 2 Department of Dermatology,
East Jeddah General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: [email protected]
1
Accepted Nov 29, 2017; Epub ahead of print Dec 4, 2017
Methotrexate (MTX), a folic acid inhibitor, has been used
to treat psoriasis since the 1970s (1). It is the first syste-
mic drug of choice for treatment of moderate-to severe
psoriasis or when topical and ultraviolet (UV) therapy is
insufficient. MTX is highly effective with few side-effects
(2). In recent studies, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index
75 (PASI 75) was reached by 36–40% of MTX-treated
patients within 16–24 weeks of treatment (3, 4). This was
considered a successful treatment response according to
the definition established by the European Consensus
Program (ECP)