Topical tazarotene therapy for psoriasis, acne vulgaris, and photoaging.

Psoriasis, acne vulgaris and photoaging are common conditions. Tazarotene is a pro-drug of tazarotenic acid, a receptor-selective retinoid, which has shown efficacy in the treatment of these disorders. In the treatment of acne vulgaris, it has greater comedolytic activity than the currently available topical retinoids. In psoriasis, tazarotene normalizes keratinocyte differentiation, reverses keratinocyte hyperproliferation and has better anti-inflammatory effects than any of the currently available topical retinoids. It is most commonly used as combination therapy with a topical corticosteroid or phototherapy in psoriasis, or with an antibiotic in acne.