Treatment of psoriasis at a Dead Sea dermatology clinic.

Background: The Dead Sea, with its unique optical, chemical, and atmospheric properties, provides an effective alternative treatment for psoriasis.

Methods: The records of 1448 consecutive psoriasis patients treated at a Dead Sea psoriasis clinic were retrospectively evaluated concerning their treatment response and demographic characteristics.

Results: Clearing of 80-100% was observed in 88% of the patients treated, including almost 58%, who had complete clearing. The demographic data studied that included gender, previous treatment at the Dead Sea, prior history of hospitalization for psoriasis, prior PUVA treatment, or a history of arthritis did not reveal any significant relationships, although overseas patients responded considerably better than Israelis.

Conclusions: The overall response in a large cohort of psoriasis patients treated at the Dead Sea was excellent. Further prospective studies and basic investigations are essential to understand the mechanism(s) involved and the relationships between other demographic data and the treatment response.