Effect of antimalarial drugs on psoriasis.

This study was undertaken to determine whether the use of antimalarial drugs is truly contraindicated in patients with psoriasis. Forty-eight patients in Vietnam were examined, treated, and tested. All had been taking prophylactic antimalarial medication, and some were given additional chloroquine in an attempt to elicit an exacerbation. Although in twenty patients (41.7 percent) the condition showed some degree of worsening from the antimalarial medication, in only three patients (6.3 percent) was there worsening without further improvement from topical therapy. The higher dosage of chloroquine caused no exacerbations. Due to the absence of severe exacerbation noted in this study, the use of antimalarial drugs is not strongly contraindicated in those with psoriasis.