This article reviews recent literature on phototherapy for psoriasis, particularly narrowband UVB. The efficacy, safety, tolerability and acceptance of phototherapy are discussed. It focuses in detail on how to improve the efficacy and safety in practice by trying to optimize the protocols, using combination therapy, monitoring the cumulative dose and providing skin cancer surveillance. Careful patient selection, individualized treatment, long-term therapy plan and complex approach to patients are the prerequisites for this. Narrowband UVB as the most widely used modality of phototherapy for psoriasis has a relatively good efficacy, cost, availability and minimal side effects. It represents a valuable treatment, which deserves more utilization and research. Although not so dynamic as in systemic drugs, research into phototherapy is ongoing. Even in the era of biologics, phototherapy remains an important therapeutic modality for psoriasis and other dermatoses and represents an essential part of modern dermatological therapy.

University Department of Dermatovenereology 1st Medical Faculty Charles University Prague Czech Republic