Psoriasis

It is common chronic non-contagious (doesn’t spread from skin contact) skin disorder. It is skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells. It causes cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells form scales and red patches that may be itchy.

Psoriasis is related to inherited genes and the immune system.

• The exact cause remains unknown. Despite research over the past 30 years, the “master switch” that turns on psoriasis is still a mystery.
• Anyone can develop psoriasis, but these factors can increase your risk of developing the disease:

• Family history.
• Viral and bacterial infections.
• Stress: Because stress can impact your immune system, high stress levels may increase your risk of psoriasis.
• Obesity: Excess weight increases the risk of psoriasis. Lesions (plaques) associated with all types of psoriasis often develop in skin creases and folds.
• Smoking: Smoking tobacco not only increases your risk of psoriasis but also may increase the severity of the disease. Smoking may also play a role in the initial development of the disease.

Sex-both men and women can develop psoriasis

Age-any age group but usually seen in 15-25years

Types of Psoriasis:

Plaque psoriasis–

• Sites-skin over the elbows, knees, and scalp. Although any area may be involved, plaque psoriasis tends to be more common at sites of friction, scratching, or abrasion
• It appears as red or pink small scaly bumpsthat merge into plaques of raised skin.

Nail psoriasis –

• Fingernails and toenails affected
• Small pits (pinpoint depressions) and/or larger yellowish-brown separations of the nail from the nail bed at the fingertip.

Guttate psoriasis –

• Explosively, affecting large parts of the skin surface simultaneously, after a sore throat.
• Common in children and young adults
• Small and covered with thin scale as compared to plaque type

 Inverse psoriasis –

• Genital lesions, navel or the area between the buttocks (intergluteal folds) armpit under the breast
• It may look like flat red plaques without much scaling. This may be confused with other skin conditions like fungal infections, yeast infections, allergic rashes, or bacterial infections.

Pustular psoriasis –

• Widespread patches (generalized pustular psoriasis) or in smaller areas on your hands, feet or fingertips, rapid onset of groups of small bumps filled with pus and often may have fever.

Erythrodermic psoriasis  –

• Involving the entire skin surface to become red, peeling rash that can itch or burn intensely along with it may have chills.

Scalp psoriasis –

• It may look like severe dandruff with dry flakes and red areas of skin. It can be difficult to differentiate between scalp psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis when only the scalp is involved. However, the treatment is often very similar for both conditions.

Treatment

Psoriasis is not currently curable.T he treatment aims to remove scales and stop skin cells from growing so quickly.  However, it can go into remission, producing an entirely normal skin surface. Ongoing research is actively making progress in finding better treatments and a possible cure in the future.

There are many effective psoriasis treatment choices. The treatment is individually determined by the treating doctor and depends, in part, on the type of disease, the severity, and amount of skin involved.

• It involves Topical creams and lotions
• Ultraviolet light
• Oral medications like-Acetrin, cyclosporine, Methotrexate,alprelimast
• Biologicals-and biosimilar

Overall, the prognosis for most patients with psoriasis is good.it is not curable but controllable Psoriasis research is heavily funded and holds great promise for the future. Just the last five to 10 years have produced great improvements in treatment of the disease with medications aimed at controlling precise sites of the process of inflammation. Ongoing research is needed to decipher the ultimate underlying cause of this disease.