Issue 7/2026
Radeva, Y., Dourmishev,L.
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University – Sofia
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated systemic inflammatory disease in which therapeutic success cannot be defined solely by plaque clearance. Narrowband UVB phototherapy (NB-UVB, 311–313 nm) remains a well-established and effective treatment modality for plaque psoriasis and continues to play an important role in contemporary management. This review presents a comprehensive approach to the assessment of therapeutic response in psoriatic patients treated with NB-UVB, with emphasis on clinical outcomes, quality-of-life changes, dermoscopic features and interleukin dynamics. Available evidence shows that NB-UVB leads to a substantial reduction in disease severity, improvement in quality-of-life measures, regression of vascular and scaling dermoscopic findings, and suppression of key proinflammatory pathways, particularly along the IL-23/IL-17 axis. The inclusion of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) is especially important because quality-of-life improvement does not always parallel PASI reduction. An integrated follow-up model combining objective clinical assessment, patient-reported outcomes, dermoscopy and, when feasible, immunological markers appear to be the most useful approach in clinical practice.
Key words: psoriasis; NB-UVB; phototherapy; DLQI; dermoscopy; interleukins; quality of life
Address for correspondence:
Dr. Yoana Radeva
Department of Dermatology and Venereology,
MU – Sofia UMHAT “Alexandrovska” EAD
1, “St. Georgi Sofiiski”, Str.
1431, Sofia
e-mail: yoanaradeva6625@gmail.com