Dermatológia pre prax 4/2009

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is one of the most common skin dermatoses. This chronic inflammatory skin condition affects 2–3 percent of the central European population. In the Czech Republic, roughly 200–300,000 people are affected; of these, approximately 10 percent suffer from very severe forms of the disease. Although psoriasis is not a life-threatening condition, it has a significant impact on physical, social, and mental aspects of life. Currently, moderate to severe psoriasis ranks second only to depression in the survey of negative impact on quality of life and the degree of disability is similar to that in other serious conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, malignancies, heart diseases).

Keywords: psoriasis, history of psoriasis, clinical presentation, psoriasis therapy, biological therapy