User:Mr. Ibrahem/Psoriasis
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Template:Good article is only for Wikipedia:Good articles.
Psoriasis | |
---|---|
Back and arms of a person with psoriasis | |
Pronunciation | |
Specialty | Dermatology |
Symptoms | Red (purple on darker skin), itchy, scaly patches of skin[3] |
Complications | Psoriatic arthritis[4] |
Usual onset | Adults[5] |
Duration | Long term[4] |
Causes | Genetic disease triggered by environmental factors[3] |
Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms[4] |
Treatment | Steroid creams, vitamin D3 cream, ultraviolet light, immune system suppressing medications such as methotrexate[6] |
Frequency | 79.7 million[7] / 2–4%[8] |
Psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune disease characterized by raised areas of abnormal skin.[6] These areas are typically red, or purple on some people with darker skin,[9] dry, itchy, and scaly.[3] Psoriasis varies in severity from small, localized patches to complete body coverage.[3] Injury to the skin can trigger psoriatic skin changes at that spot, which is known as the Koebner phenomenon.[10]
There are five main types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic.[6] Plaque psoriasis, also known as psoriasis vulgaris, makes up about 90 percent of cases.[4] It typically presents as red patches with white scales on top.[4] Areas of the body most commonly affected are the back of the forearms, shins, navel area, and scalp.[4] Guttate psoriasis has drop-shaped lesions.[6] Pustular psoriasis presents as small non-infectious pus-filled blisters.[11] Inverse psoriasis forms red patches in skin folds.[6] Erythrodermic psoriasis occurs when the rash becomes very widespread, and can develop from any of the other types.[4] Fingernails and toenails are affected in most people with psoriasis at some point in time.[4] This may include pits in the nails or changes in nail color.[4]
Psoriasis is generally thought to be a genetic disease that is triggered by environmental factors.[3] If one twin has psoriasis, the other twin is three times more likely to be affected if the twins are identical than if they are non-identical.[4] This suggests that genetic factors predispose to psoriasis.[4] Symptoms often worsen during winter and with certain medications, such as beta blockers or NSAIDs.[4] Infections and psychological stress can also play a role.[3][6] Psoriasis is not contagious.[4] The underlying mechanism involves the immune system reacting to skin cells.[4] Diagnosis is typically based on the signs and symptoms.[4]
There is no cure for psoriasis; however, various treatments can help control the symptoms.[4] These treatments include steroid creams, vitamin D3 cream, ultraviolet light and immune system suppressing medications, such as methotrexate.[6] About 75 percent of skin involvement improves with creams alone.[4] The disease affects two to four percent of the population.[8] Men and women are affected with equal frequency.[6] The disease may begin at any age, but typically starts in adulthood.[5] Psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of psoriatic arthritis, lymphomas, cardiovascular disease, Crohn disease, and depression.[4] Psoriatic arthritis affects up to 30 percent of individuals with psoriasis.[11]