What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated the potential therapeutic effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for psoriasis by presenting two patient case reports and reviewing existing literature.
What They Found
Two patients with long-standing psoriasis vulgaris showed significant improvement with HBOT. A 40-year-old patient with pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis achieved complete remission of psoriasis and marked improvement in arthritis after six HBOT sessions, maintained at 18-month follow-up. A 55-year-old patient with extensive psoriatic lesions also showed marked improvement within 15 HBOT sessions, with no adverse effects reported.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients living with psoriasis, this study suggests that HBOT could be a potential therapeutic option, especially for those with severe manifestations or who have not responded well to conventional treatments. While promising, it's important to note this is preliminary evidence, and further controlled research is needed before it becomes a standard treatment.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
As case reports, this study's findings are based on a very small number of patients and cannot be generalized to the broader psoriasis population.