Quality of Life of Psoriasis Patients before and after

Both ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure and bathing have been recognised to have beneficial effects on several chronic skin diseases.1,2 Most types of psoriasis are thought to respond to such interventions. In particular, the combination of baths in an established saline solution and exposure to ultraviolet rays of a wave-length of 311 nm seems to be effective particularly in the treatment of psoriasis.3,4 The efficacy of this method is not completely due to improved effect of phototherapy following hydration of the cornified layer, but also to the ionic mechanism of the elements contained in the baths.5 Several studies have tested different spa water baths, however only a few are randomised controlled trials, never-theless, the majority of these studies observed the positive effect of saline waters.6,7 Comano, located in Northern Italy, has been known as an important spa water centre since ancient times. The water is oligometallic, has a temperature of 27˚C at the springs, and a pH of 7.5-7.6.8 The Italian National Health System officially recognises the beneficial effects of spa water treatment alone or in conjunction with treatments such as UVB treatment for psoriasis. We designed an observational study as a first step to evaluate the effect of Comano’s water baths alone or in association with phototherapy on psoriasis patients, both in terms of clinical severity and patient’s quality of life (QoL)