Psoriasis, symptoms and treatment of a very common skin disease

Psoriasis belongs to a series of diseases that we can define as chronic inflammatory diseases, of which it is the main representative.
It is also referred to as erythema-squamous dermatitis, chronic or relapsing.

Psioriasis is indeed a very common disease, both in children and adults, but it can hide many pitfalls in terms of how to manage it, precisely because it may represent a real nuisance that, in severe cases, becomes unmanageable.

The pathogenesis of psioriasis

Psioriasis must be considered a member of the immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, i.e. with an immunological aetiology (cause of the disease).

Psoriasis itself is a risk factor for acute myocardial infarction, in its severe manifestations of the disease.

In the pathogenesis of psioriasis, cytological and histological changes in the epidermis with hyperplasia, i.e. thickening of the skin walls, can be identified in the first place.

The pathology is multifactorial. We have pro-immune response genetic factors and triggering factors:
Among the genetic factors we identify polygenic inheritance, which usually skips a generation.
Triggering events, resulting from external environmental stimuli, include stress, hypertensive medication, UV radiation, but also smoking, alcohol and obesity.

What are the most traditional treatments for psioriasis?

The most appropriate therapy to be used is based on assessment using various indices, such as PASI, DLQI, BSA.

In the case of psoriatic arthropathy, accurate assessments using the CASPAR classification and the Moll and Wright classification are useful.

All these assessment scales that we have mentioned are adequately carried out during a dermatological examination, which will ascertain the presence of psioriasis and its type of clinical manifestation.

With regard to the PASI index (psoriasis aea severity index), it is by far the most widely used and indicates a scale for which one therapy is used over another.

For mild psioriasis, with a PASI score of less than 5, the use of topical therapy is considered, with the use of corticosteroids and various ointments.
In this case cortisone will be prescribed, more specifically that containing betamethasone, but also an increased intake of vitamin D, which could significantly improve the development of the disease.

It is very important to avoid overdosing, and your doctor will be able to give you this information, but you should avoid taking too many medications at all costs, as this can lead to unpleasant side effects, including worsening of the psioriasis itself.

What are the most innovative treatments for psioriasis?

Some of the most innovative treatments that have been studied for psioriasis are phototherapy.
In Norway, for example, only these methods are used, and they have proven to be very effective.

Physical therapies are used, leading to exposure sessions with UVa, when a more superficial action is needed, and UVb, to even reach the dermis, the deepest state of the skin.

The conclusions of the article

This brings us to the end of our article, in which we have carefully analysed various issues relating to one of the most common skin diseases, psioriasis. Psioriasis may be present in different types and stages,

We would like to thank you for reading our article up to this point and hope that you have found it helpful in understanding more important details about psioriasis. However, if you have any symptoms that could be linked to this skin disease, we recommend that you immediately visit a dermatologist, who will be able to provide you with a treatment that is tailored to your needs and that will solve the problem once and for all.