An ointment containing a Chinese herbal remedy shows great promise in treating psoriasis that does not respond to conventional treatments.
Yin-Ku Lin, MD, of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues have been using the ointment, which contains a Chinese herbal remedy called indigo naturalis, to treat psoriasis patients who do not respond to conventional drug therapy for several years. For their study, they treated 42 patients with chronic bilateral plaque psoriasis that had not improved despite at least two different medical treatments. The patients spread the ointment on one side of their body and the base (made from petroleum jelly, yellow wax, and olive oil) on the other.
Results showed that after 12-weeks of treatment with the ointment, 31 of the 42 patients’ psoriasis plaques had cleared or nearly cleared. No harmful side effects were noted, however the ointment did stain the skin, albeit temporarily.
The authors concluded: “Topical indigo naturalis ointment was a novel, safe, and effective therapy for plaque-type psoriasis.”
Lin YK, Chanh CJ, chanh YC, Wong WR, Chanh SC, Pang JHS. Clinical Assessment of Patients With Recalcitrant Psoriasis in a Randomized, Observer-Blind, Vehicle-Controlled Trial Using Indigo Naturalis. Arch Dermatol. 2008;144:1457-1464.
