***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: OBJECTIVE To compare the therapeutic effectiveness of daily exposure to narrowb and ( NB ) UV-B vs broadb and ( BB ) UV-B with and without tar . DESIGN Half-body exposures to NB UV-B or BB UV-B were given daily for 4 weeks in this comparative treatment study . Narrowb and UV-B was delivered from TL-01 fluorescent bulbs and BB UV-B from conventional bulbs in the same phototherapy cabinet . Narrowb and UV-B was compared using a paired treatment approach to BB UV-B above the waist and to BB UV-B with tar ( Goeckerman treatment ) below the waist . SETTING General clinical research center of a university hospital inpatient unit . PATIENTS Twenty-two patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis completed the study . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical efficacy was measured weekly using psoriasis severity scoring . Therapeutic outcomes after 4 weeks were compared in paired biopsy sample s from treated lesions using objective histopathological measures ( quantitative reduction in epidermal acanthosis and keratin 16 expression ) . RESULTS Clinical resolution of psoriasis was achieved on 86 % of paired sites treated with NB UV-B vs 73 % treated with BB UV-B.  Histopathological resolution of epidermal hyperplasia ( marked by keratin 16 expression ) was achieved in 88 % of lesions treated with NB UV-B vs 59 % treated with BB UV-B.  Epidermal acanthosis was reduced more completely by NB UV-B treatment . Clinical resolution of psoriatic lesions occurred more rapidly following NB UV-B treatment , with some patients achieving complete resolution after 2 to 3 weeks of treatment . CONCLUSIONS Narrowb and UV-B offers a significant therapeutic advantage over BB UV-B in the treatment of psoriasis , with faster clearing and more complete disease resolution . The erythema response to NB UV-B treatment was significantly more intense and persistent compared with BB UV-B. Considerably more necrotic keratinocytes were observed in histopathological sections of skin treated with NB UV-B after a single 2.0-minimum erythema dose exposure . Treatment should be coupled with obligate minimum erythema dose testing to NB UV-B and close clinical observation during dose increases BACKGROUND A narrow-b and UVB lamp ( Philips TL 01 ) emitting a peak of approximately 311 nm was developed to improve the phototherapy for psoriasis . Only a few studies have been performed with promising results . OBJECTIVE The therapeutic efficacy of the Philips TL 01 lamp in a new 100 W version was compared with conventional broad-b and lamps ( Sylvania UV 6 ) in a controlled trial . METHODS Twenty-three patients with psoriasis were treated with half-body exposures from the different UVB sources . The rate of clearing was monitored by estimation of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index . All patients used emollients ; excessive scaling was removed with salicylic acid in yellow petrolatum . In 13 patients dithranol in a modified Ingram regimen was added . In most cases the study was discontinued once a difference between the two sides was evident . RESULTS In 20 of 23 cases the TL 01 lamp proved to be significantly more effective than the conventional source . Application of dithranol provided a substantial additional therapeutic effect . With the high-intensity TL 01/100W bulbs , exposure times were comparable to broad-b and UVB phototherapy . CONCLUSION The therapeutic efficacy of Philips TL 01/100W and its practicability for psoriasis phototherapy have been demonstrated The efficacy of trimethylpsoralen bath PUVA and UVB TL01 were compared in chronic plaque psoriasis . Patients were r and omly assigned to receive UVB TL01 on one side and bath PUVA on the contra-lateral side . Altogether 17 patients received treatments and 15 completed the trial . The decrease in the PASI score was greater with UVB TL01 than PUVA . At the end of the treatment period , the difference was highly significant ( p < 0.001 ) . The difference was already significant at week 3 ( p = 0.014 ) . The relative median decrease in the PASI score was 77 % ( 24 - 100 % ) with UVB and 45 % ( 8 - 100 % ) with PUVA . The median cumulative UVB dose was 39.92 ( range 13.95 - 81.56 ) J/cm2 and the corresponding UVA dose was 8.06 ( range 3.31 - 12.51 ) J/cm2 . All patients relapsed within 4 months . Narrowb and UVB  improved psoriasis clinical ly and statistically more efficiently than trimethylpsoralen bath PUVA , and UVB was better tolerated Forty patients with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris were treated with tetracycline 250 mg twice daily or with placebo , in a double‐blind trial . In twenty‐eight patients the lesions were confined to the palms and soles , whereas twelve had psoriatic lesions affecting other parts of the skin and /or nails .  Radiological signs of focal infection were found in eighteen patients . In thirty‐five patients positive bacteriological culture from pustules was obtained , the most common strain being Staphylococcus albus Twenty-nine patients with psoriasis took part in a study which compared the therapeutic effect of Philips TL12 with a new narrow-b and UVB lamp ( Philips TL01 ) . The patients were treated on an out-patient basis and treatment were given 3 - 5 times weekly for a maximum of 8 weeks . The study was conducted in a r and omized left-right double-blind fashion . The total score on the TL01-side decreased rather more than on the TL12-side . Eleven patients preferred the TL01 lamp and one the TL12-side , whereas 17 patients had no preference . One of the drawbacks with the new lamp is that radiation times are almost doubled INTRODUCTION Studies carried out to date comparing treatment with PUVA baths and narrow-b and UVB ( NBUVB ) in psoriasis show that better results are obtained with NBUVB . Certain features of the protocol s may interfere with the results . MATERIAL AND METHODS Prospect i ve study in a psoriasis unit , with treatment assigned according to availability . Of 167 patients with psoriasis plaques , 32 received PUVA baths ( photosensitizer 8-methoxypsoralen at a concentration of 2.6 mg/l ) and 135 received NBUVB radiation . A clearing rate of over 70 % was considered a good response . The data were described and compared between the two groups , including multivariate analysis techniques , in order to statistically control the effects of gender , number of sessions necessary for success , minimum phototoxic dose and minimum erythema dose . RESULTS A good response was obtained in 87.5 % of the cases with PUVA baths ( 95 % CI : 71.0 - 96.5 ) and in 87.4 % of the cases with NBUVB ( 95 % CI : 80.6 - 92.5 ) . No significant differences were found in the success and ab and onment percentages . Among the patients who responded to the treatment , no differences were found in the number of sessions or in the cumulative dose . Gender , cumulative dose or minimum phototoxic dose and minimum erythema dose values were not associated with the response to the treatments either . CONCLUSIONS With psoriasis plaques , similar response percentages can be expected with both treatments , using the proposed protocol s. The response is regardless of gender , cumulative dose and minimum phototoxic dose and minimum erythema dose values OBJECTIVE This was a double-blind , r and omized multicentre trial comparing efficacy and safety of brivudin ( 125 mg , once a day ) and famciclovir ( 250 mg , three times a day ) , both given orally for 7 days , in the treatment of herpes zoster . METHODS A total of 2027 immunocompetent zoster patients > or=50 years with zoster-related pain at presentation were included . Outcome measures embraced prevalence of postherpetic neuralgia ( PHN ) , defined as at least moderate pain 3 months after treatment initiation , duration of PHN , prevalence and duration of zoster-associated pain ( ZAP ) , duration of vesicle formation and rash healing . RESULTS The prevalence of PHN at month 3 was 11.3 % with brivudin and 9.6 % with famciclovir [ per- protocol ( PP ) population ] . Equivalence of the two drugs could be demonstrated ( P=0.01 , PP and intention-to-treat analysis ) . The median duration of PHN was 46.5 days with brivudin and 58 days with famciclovir ( P=0.54 , PP analysis ) . Prevalence and duration of ZAP did not differ significantly between treatment groups . The prevalence of PHN was higher in patients > or=65 years ( brivudin : 16.4 % , famciclovir : 16.4 % ) , and in patients with severe rash  ( brivudin : 13.4 % , famciclovir : 15.7 % ) , without significant differences between treatment groups . In patients > or=65 years , median duration of PHN was shorter with brivudin than with famciclovir ( 39.5 vs. 57.5 days ) , although the difference was not statistically significant . The two drugs had equivalent efficacy in being able to accelerate the stop of vesicle formation , and lesion healing . Adverse events were similar in nature and prevalence among groups . CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrated equivalent efficacy of brivudin and famciclovir in the treatment of herpes zoster regarding the prevention of chronic pain and the resolution of signs and symptoms of acute herpes zoster . Compared with famciclovir , brivudin provides equivalent efficacy and safety at a more convenient once-daily dose schedule BACKGROUND Although PUVA treatment of psoriasis is more effective than conventional or broad-b and UVB phototherapy , two small studies have suggested that narrow-b and or TL-01 phototherapy may have a therapeutic effect equal to PUVA . If confirmed , this would be of considerable importance as TL-01 therapy is likely to be considerably safer in the long term than PUVA . OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare PUVA with narrow-b and ( TL-01 ) phototherapy in psoriasis . METHODS We studied 100 patients with plaque-type psoriasis who were r and omly allocated to twice-weekly treatment with PUVA or narrow-b and UVB .  RESULTS Clearance of psoriasis was achieved in a significantly greater proportion of patients treated with PUVA ( 84 % ) than with TL-01 ( 63 % ) ( P = .018 ) , and with significantly fewer treatments ( median number of treatments for clearance with PUVA , 16.7 ; with TL-01 , 25.3 ; P = .001 ) . Only 12 % of those treated with TL-01 were clear of psoriasis 6 months after finishing treatment compared with 35 % for PUVA ( P = .002 ) . CONCLUSION When given twice weekly , PUVA is more effective for psoriasis than narrow-b and UVB phototherapy Continued prospect i ve study of the 1,380 patients enrolled in the PUVA study for 10 years after first exposure to PUVA  demonstrates a strong association between cumulative exposure to PUVA and an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin .  For tumors occurring at least 58 months after first treatment , after adjustment for age , sex , and area of residence , we observed that patients with more than 260 treatments had an 11-fold increase in risk compared to patients who had received 160 or fewer treatments during the same interval ( P less than 0.01 ) . Comparable increases in relative risk were noted in patients of all skin types , irrespective of prior ionizing radiation exposure . We also noted a modest dose-dependent increase in the risk for the development of basal cell carcinoma for patients who received an excess of 200 treatments compared to those who had received fewer than 160 treatments within the same time period ( P less than 0.05 ) . Tumors detected in our cohort exhibit biologic behavior similar to non-melanoma skin cancers associated with sun exposure . Careful monitoring and early detection should limit the morbidity associated with these tumors A bilateral comparison study of the therapeutic effects of broad-b and ultraviolet ( UBV ) ( FS-40 Sunlamp bulbs ) radiation versus UVB radiation plus methoxsalen was conducted in patients with psoriasis . Ten patients were given up to 30 exposures to the two treatments on paired , similarly affected limbs . There was no detectable difference in the response of limbs treated with UVB plus methoxsalen versus UVB phototherapy alone although all patients did show a therapeutic response . Other areas of the body treated with methoxsalen and broad-b and UVA radiation ( PUVA bulbs ) responded more rapidly and to a greater extent than areas exposed to UVB radiation OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of oral psoralen-UV-A ( PUVA ) therapy with that of narrowb and UV-B ( NB-UVB ) therapy in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis . DESIGN Double-blind r and omized study . SET 
    Output:
    
Evidence regarding NB-UVB versus bath PUVA is also inconsistent .
Re-NB-UVB and re-PUVA are similarly effective for treating people with CPP or GP .
In practice , NB-UVB may be more convenient to use since exogenous photosensitiser is not required before phototherapy .
NB-UVB is considered ineffective for PPP in clinical practice , and a small RCT did not detect a statistically significant difference between NB-UVB and topical PUVA for clearing PPP .