Therapeutic modalities for localized psoriasis: 308-nm UVB excimer laser versus nontargeted phototherapy. 
UVB phototherapy is an effective treatment modality for psoriasis.  For patients with localized plaque-type lesions, 308-nm excimer laser phototherapy offers rapidly delivered, targeted, high UVB doses, while sparing adjacent healthy skin.  We aimed to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the 308-nm xenon chloride (XeCI) UVB excimer laser with nontargeted broadband UVB (BB-UVB), narrowband UVB (NB-UVB), and psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) phototherapies.  A PubMed search for studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of the laser versus nontargeted phototherapeutic modalities was conducted.  Three prospective nonrandomized studies compared NB-UVB with excimer laser phototherapy.  No head-to-head studies were found for BB-UVB or PUVA compared to excimer laser.  Both the 308-nm excimer laser and nontargeted phototherapies were found to effectively clear localized psoriasis.  Although it is proposed that excimer laser exclusively treats diseased skin with better response rates, split-body trials revealed no differences.  Long-term studies are necessary to compare the effects of high-dose excimer laser regimens with nontargeted phototherapies.