Psoriasis

Background information, causes, and treatment for Psoriasis.

Posted 04/26/2005

If you develop raised red scaly or crusty patches over your knees, elbows, lower back, or scalp, you probably have plaque psoriasis. Guttate psoriasis is characterized by smaller scaly spots all over the body, while pustular psoriasis features large, weepy sores all over the body. In the UK about 1.5 million people suffer from psoriasis and in the US there are 5 to 6 million sufferers. The name comes from the Greek for "to itch" but for many people, the itching is sufficiently low-grade for them not to even recognize the condition.

Cause

Frustratingly for physicians and patients, the cause of this particular ailment is completely unknown. What is clear is that the skin cell maturation process is abnormal with new cells taking a mere 3 to 4 days to rise from the basal layer instead of the normal 28 to 30 days. It is also known that stress, either emotional or physical, can spark up a flare-up.

Treatment

While there is no cure for psoriasis, the many new treatments are available. Most patients' skin improves by sunbathing. Your dermatologist will attempt to slow down the excessively rapid cell maturation process with a variety of substances, for example, topical steroids, salicylic acid, tar, anthralin or most recently vitamin D or A derivative preparations. With one of these treatments 80% of patients can expect to gain at least 50% improvement in their condition.

In severe cases, the psoriasis might be treated with ultraviolet therapies (including PUVA - psoralen UVA) therapy, which must always be administered by a physician to maximize the effect while minimizing the damage. The most severe form of the condition, pustular psoriasis is very rare. Because the sores are often open, painful, and prone to infection, sufferers usually require hospitalization.

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