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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

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• Children
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• Patient Handouts

Summary

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes itchy or sore patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales. You usually get the patches on your elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms and feet, but they can show up on other parts of your body. Some people who have psoriasis also get a form of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis.

A problem with your immune system causes psoriasis. In a process called cell turnover, skin cells that grow deep in your skin rise to the surface. Normally, this takes a month. In psoriasis, it happens in just days because your cells rise too fast.

Psoriasis can be hard to diagnose because it can look like other skin diseases. Your doctor might need to look at a small skin sample under a microscope.

Psoriasis can last a long time, even a lifetime. Symptoms come and go. Things that make them worse include:

• Infections
• Stress
• Dry skin
• Certain medicines

Psoriasis usually occurs in adults. It sometimes runs in families. Treatments include creams, medicines, and light therapy.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

• About Psoriasis (National Psoriasis Foundation)
• Psoriasis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Spotlight on Psoriasis: Preventing Patches of Itchy, Sore Skin (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• What Is Psoriasis? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Phototherapy (VisualDX)

Related Issues

• Scalp Psoriasis vs. Seborrheic Dermatitis: What's the Difference? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Psoriatic Arthritis: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Generalized pustular psoriasis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

• Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (VisualDX)
• Guttate Psoriasis (VisualDX)
• Plaque Psoriasis (VisualDX)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Psoriasis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Cutaneous and systemic improvements in psoriasis patients after different biologic treatments...
• Article: Deucravacitinib, an Oral, Selective, Allosteric Tyrosine Kinase 2 Inhibitor, in Japanese...
• Article: Summary of Research: Comparable Efficacy and Safety of Brodalumab in Obese...
• Psoriasis -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Children

• Psoriasis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

• Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists)

Patient Handouts

• Guttate psoriasis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Psoriasis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish