Study on the effect of thalassotherapy on psoriasis

The combination of seawater bathing and narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) is a well-known treatment for psoriasis. This study evaluates two treatment regimens combining geothermal seawater bathing with NB-UVB therapy compared to NB-UVB therapy alone.

68 psoriasis patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Bathing in geothermal seawater in combination with NB-UVB therapy three times per week, intensive daily treatment with geothermal seawater and NB-UVB therapy, or NB-UVB therapy alone three times per week. The treatment period was 6 weeks. Disease severity (Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and Lattice System Physician's Global Assessment), quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index) and histologic changes were evaluated before, during and after treatment. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving a PASI 75 at 6 weeks.

After 6 weeks, the proportion of patients achieving PASI 75 and PASI 90 was significantly greater for both the thrice-weekly bathing treatment in geothermal seawater and the intensive treatment with geothermal seawater than for NB-UVB therapy alone. The clinical improvement was accompanied by an improvement in quality of life and histological score as well as a reduction in NB-UVB doses.

Bathing in geothermal seawater in combination with NB-UVB therapy leads to faster clinical and histologic improvement, longer remission times and lower NB-UVB doses in psoriasis compared to UVB therapy alone.