Psoriasis is a chronic, multi-system, immune- mediated inflammatory disease which frequently involves the skin, nails and joints. When psoriasis affects the skin, it causes pink scaly rashes which may or may not itch. Any part of the body can be affected but it tends to involve the scalp, face, elbows and knees. Psoriasis may be aggravated by factors such as: alcohol, infection( eg flu), stress, physical trauma to the skin ( eg rubbing/ scratching), and certain medications such as beta-blockers and ACE inihibitors. The disease may begin during childhood or early adulthood. Individuals with psoriasis have a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease.
What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis
What is the cause of Psoriasis?
There has been a lot of research looking at the causes of this complex multisystem disease- current understanding suggests that Immune dysfunction and genetics are 2 major key drivers of psoriasis. Many different gene mutations have been implicated in the development of psoriasis.
What are the major different subtypes of skin Psoriasis?
- Plaque Psoriasis (most common)
- Guttate Psoriasis
- Inverse Psoriasis
- Pustular Psoriasis
- Erythrodermic Psoriasis
- Palmoplantar Psoriasis
What are the symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis occurs in around 30% of patients with psoriasis. Some patients have psoriasis for many years before developing arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis can affect either the spine/shoulder/ hip joints , or the smaller joints of the arms and legs. Sometimes, the inflammation affects the ligaments/ tendons attached to the joints. Common symptoms of arthritis are: pain, swelling and stiffness.
What was the symptoms or signs of Nail Psoriasis?
Psoriasis can make the nails look abnormal. Features of nail psoriasis:
- Thickening of the nail
- Pitting (like orange skin)
- Yellow-brown spots under the nail
- Onycholysis- separation of the nail from the skin beneath
What treatments are available for Psoriasis?
There is a wide variety of treatments options for psoriasis, and treatment needs to be customized according to each patient’s profile and disease severity. The treatments can broadly be categorized into the following groups:
- Topical treatments ( eg coal tar, steroids, vitamin D3 analogues, calcineurin inhibitors
- Phototherapy
- Traditional Systemic treatments ( cyclosporine, methotrexate, acitretin etc)
- Biologic treatments
- Small molecules- eg JAK inhibitors