Psoriasis

Psoriasis is one of the most common skin conditions that patients seek the advice of a Dermatologist for.   In the United States psoriasis is estimated to affect over 5 million people.  Most cases of psoriasis are not inherited; however, there are many examples of psoriasis affecting many generations of families.  It can present at any age, and the clinical course is unpredictable. 

There are many different forms of psoriasis including:  guttate, inverse, plaque type, scalp psoriasis, nail psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, pustular psoriasis, and erythrodermic psoriasis.  Psoriasis can be localized to one region of the body or it can be generalized.  The diagnosis is usually made easily by a clinician or even the patient themselves.  Occasionally a skin biopsy is required to help make the diagnosis.

Many effective treatments exist.   Dermatologists often implement a stepwise ladder approach.  Starting with topical treatments that include: moisturizers, topical steroids, calcipotriene, tar, salicylic acid, and anthralin.  Light therapy (phototherapy) plays a role in patients that have a significant body surface area of involvement.  The types of light treatment available are PUVA, UVA, UVB, narrow band UVB, and natural sunlight.  If these treatments do not work there are many systemic medications that have proven efficacy in treating psoriasis.  These include but are not limited to: methotrexate, acitretin, cyclosporin, and eternacept.  Many times we use combinations of the above treatments to help our patients.  Many new drugs for the treatment of psoriasis are being studied.  We here at the Hershey Medical Center are performing some of these studies.

Psoriasis is a very common problem, which has many effective treatment options.