Dan is a 20-year-old with plaque psoriasis. He reports that his father also had severe plaque...

Dan is a 20-year-old with plaque psoriasis. He reports that his father also had severe plaque psoriasis throughout his life. Dan wants to know what this is, what occurs, and an explanation of two treatments that may assist in making it less noticeable to others who do not understand the disease. What would you tell him?

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Expert Solution

What this is?

Psoriasis is a condition of the skin
In this condition, one of the cells ( keratinocytes) that make up the layers of the skin, divide and multiply excessively.
It is chronic ( lasts for a long time) but doesn't spread from one person to another ( non-contagious)
Many factors work together to cause the disease. The factors responsible for causing psoriasis are
1. stress
2. Infection ( staphylococcus, streptococcus, HIV)
3. Alcohol
4. Drugs ( aspirin, Iodine)
5. Genetic predisposition ( that explains why the patient and his father have the disease)
6. Your immune system starts attacking its own tissues (autoimmunity)
7. Obesity

What occurs?

This disease affects the skin, eyes, and joints. However, Skin is the most common organ to be involved.

Skin lesion looks like

Raised palpable plaques with a clear boundary between skin lesion and normal skin
These plaque are itchy
irregular in shape
The skin lesions are dry and scaly (scales are silvery-white)
It can be present of the trunk, scalp, and outer surface of upper and lower limbs (extensor surface). The lesion are present on both sides of the body.
It may affect the nails (pitting, the nail may separate from the nail bed)
It may involve the joints of the hands - the joint present close to the nail bed ( distal interphalangeal joint) and can also involve the spine.

Two treatments that may assist him?

Topical steroid applications (halobetasol) - this cream reduces the size of the lesion and complete resolution can occur by 4 - 6 weeks
Phototherapy with psoralen with ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B - this form of treatment will reduce the cell turn over and destroy the cells in the lesion.

Nightingale answered 2 years ago

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