Medical Questions » Psoriasis Questions » Question No. 819
| Question: | What is psoriasis? I have been told this is the cause of my skin problem, but know nothing about it. |
| Answer: | The most complex organ in the body after the brain is probably the skin. It must be waterproof, and yet let out water in the form of sweat. It must be strong to resist damage, yet flexible and sensitive to touch. Skin must repair itself rapidly when damaged, or vital body fluids may escape in a quantity sufficient to threaten life. It is easy to see, but difficult to treat, because few medications can penetrate through it. Because of the complexity of skin, many diseases can arise in our outer covering, and dermatologists are the doctors who specialise in diagnosing and treating its ailments.
One of the most annoying and distressing skin diseases, because it tends to be chronic and difficult to treat, is psoriasis. Psoriasis (the P is silent, and it is pronounced almost as ' sore-eye-asis' ) affects up to 2% of the population. It is unusual in children but becomes more common as age increases. One of the most frustrating aspects of this disfiguring dermatitis is the way in which it can come and go without any treatment. It almost invariably returns, and often in a worse form than previously.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease (like rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus) in which the body' s immune system is inappropriately triggered to reject tissue as though it was a foreign material. In psoriasis, varying parts of the skin are rejected.
It first appears as a small patch of red skin covered with fine scales. The elbows, shins, knees and scalp are the most common sites affected, but the rash may cover any part of the body. The small spot gradually enlarges, roughens and the skin thickens. Then other spots start in other areas of the body over a period of months, until a large part of the body is affected. In the scalp, it may appear to be a bad case of dandruff until the doctor makes the diagnosis. The nails may also be affected, and they become rough and pitted.
Psoriasis has many sub-types, and it is not always easy to make the diagnosis. It may be necessary to cut out a small piece of skin for a pathologist to examine under a microscope before the diagnosis is finally confirmed.
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