Topical delgocitinib provides clinical improvements comparable to localized PUVA while supporting sustained disease control through proactive maintenance therapy in CHE.
Chronic hand eczema (CHE) remains a difficult-to-manage inflammatory skin disorder that substantially affects patients' daily activities, quality of life (QoL), and occupational functioning, creating an ongoing need for effective steroid-sparing treatment options. This retrospective real-world study compared the short-term clinical outcomes and patient-reported benefits of topical delgocitinib and localized cream PUVA therapy in patients with CHE.
Routine-care data from patients with moderate-to-severe CHE treated at a tertiary dermatology center were analyzed. Twenty-two patients in each treatment group completed the study per protocol, receiving either topical delgocitinib twice daily for 12 weeks or 20–25 sessions of localized cream PUVA therapy combined with as-needed topical corticosteroids. Treatment effectiveness was assessed by evaluating disease severity using the Physician's Global Assessment (PGA), QoL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and symptom severity through numerical rating scales for pruritus, pain, and sleep disturbance at baseline and treatment completion.
Both treatment modalities demonstrated significant clinical effectiveness and were associated with favorable patient-reported outcomes. Delgocitinib achieved PGA 0/1 in 82% of patients compared with 73% receiving PUVA, while clinically meaningful DLQI ≥4 points improvement was reported in 91% and 77% of patients, respectively. Delgocitinib also demonstrated numerically greater improvements in QoL outcomes, whereas relapses occurred more frequently following PUVA therapy. Additionally, 91% of evaluable patients maintained PGA 0/1 status during proactive delgocitinib maintenance treatment, indicating durable disease control in routine clinical practice. Comparative efficacy findings, including response rates, QoL improvements, relapse patterns, and maintenance outcomes, are presented in Table 1.

Overall, delgocitinib demonstrated clinical effectiveness comparable to localized PUVA while offering the additional advantage of sustained disease control during maintenance therapy. These findings suggested that delgocitinib could serve as an effective steroid-free treatment option for the long-term management of CHE.
Dermatology and Therapy
A Retrospective Real-World Comparison of Topical Delgocitinib and Localized Cream Psoralen–Ultraviolet A in Chronic Hand Eczema
Weißinger et al.
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