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Psoriasis

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Plaque psoriasis

Symptoms:

Persons with psoriasis have irritated patches of skin. The redness is most often seen on the elbows, knees, and trunk, but can appear anywhere on the body. For example, there may be flaky patches on the scalp.

The skin patches or dots may be:

• Pink-red in color (like the color of salmon)
• Dry and covered with silver, flaky skin (scales)
• Raised and thick

Additional symptoms may include:

• Genital lesions in males
• Joint pain or aching (psoriatic arthritis)
• Nail changes , including nail thickening, yellow-brown spots, dents (pits) on the nail surface, and separation of the nail from the base

Signs and tests:

Your doctor will look at your skin. Diagnosis is usually based on what the skin looks like.

Sometimes, a skin biopsy is done to rule out other possible conditions. If you have joint pain, your doctor may order x-rays.

References:

Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology . 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004.

Rakel P. Conn ’s Current Therapy 2005 . 57th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2005.

• Review Date: 7/27/2006
• Reviewed By: Shlomit Halachmi, MD, PhD, Private Practice Specializing in Dermatology, Somerville, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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