08/05/12

Psoriasis

08/05/12

• Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious.

− There are five main types of psoriasis:• Erythrodermic -- The skin redness is very intense and covers a large area.• Guttate -- Small, pink-red spots appear on the skin.• Inverse -- Skin redness and irritation occurs in the armpits, groin, and in between overlapping skin.• Plaque -- Thick, red patches of skin are covered by flaky, silver-white scales. This is the most common type of psoriasis.• Pustular -- White blisters are surrounded by red, irritated skin.

− The cause of psoriasis is not fully understood. There are two main hypotheses about the process that occurs in the development of the disease:

• The first, considers psoriasis as primarily a disorder of excessive growth and reproduction of skin cells. The problem is simply seen as a fault of the epidermis(outer layer of the skin) and its keratinocytes.

• The second hypothesis sees the disease as being an immune-mediated disorder in which the excessive reproduction of skin cells is secondary to factors produced by the immune system.

Psoriasis

08/05/12

• Symptoms− Dry and covered with silver, flaky skin (scales)− Skin is pink-red in color (like the color of salmon)− Genital lesions in males− Joint pain or aching (psoriatic arthritis)− Nail changes, including nail thickening, yellow-brown spots, dents (pits) on the nail surface, and separation of the nail from the base− Severe dandruff on the scalp

• Tests & Diagnostics− Diagnosis is usually based on what the skin looks like.− Skin biopsy is done to rule out other possible conditions.− If you have joint pain, your doctor may order x-rays.

• Treatments− Topical medications such as lotions, ointments, creams, and shampoos− Body-wide (systemic) medications, which are pills or injections that affect the whole body, not just the skin− Phototherapy, which uses light to treat psoriasis

Psoriasis