ABSTRACT
The majority of patients with mild to moderate psoriasis are managed with topical therapy. The two most widely prescribed topical medications are corticosteroids and vitamin D3 analogs. Despite their widespread use and demonstrated efficacy, the chronic use of topical corticosteroids or vitamin D3analogs is associated with safety and efficacy concerns. To maximize the benefits of topical therapy, topical corticosteroids are often administered in combination with a second topical agent, such as calcipotriene. There are many published studies that have established that calcipotriene can enhance the outcome of treatment modalities such as acitretin, methotrexate, cyclosporine, ultraviolet B phototherapy, and psoralen plus ultraviolet A phototherapy. Psoriasis is a chronic disease that requires compliance with treatment for successful longterm management. However, a meta-analysis showed that only 50%–60% of patients are compliant with topical therapy in the real-world setting.
