Key clinical point: Dimethyl fumarate may be considered a first-line systemic treatment option to manage psoriasis in the elderly. However, long-term safety, particularly lymphocytopenia, should be closely monitored.
Major finding: The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score ranged from 3.7 to -24.0 (mean, 9.8±4.1) at week 0, which changed to 4.3±3.2 at week 16 and 2.7±3.2 at week 24 after dimethyl fumarate administration. Overall, 72.8% of adverse events were reported, with the most common being gastrointestinal complaints (29.6%), flushes (12.3%), and lymphocytopenia (12.35%).
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective study including 81 elderly patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, aged 65 years and older, treated with dimethyl fumarate for up to 24 weeks.
Disclosures: No source of funding was declared. The authors declared no potential conflict of interests.
Source: Ricceri F et al. J Dermatolo Treat. 2021 Aug 11. doi: 10.1080/09546634.2021.1962000 .