Psoriasis and its comorbidities

Psoriasis is a lifelong disfiguring inflammatory skin disease, characterised by salmon-pink or red thickened skin plaques covered with silver-white scales. The rash usually takes a symmetrical distribution, is often itchy and may bleed. The aetiology and natural history of psoriasis remain elusive.

However, it is now regarded as an immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID), which involves T-cell activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression¹. The global prevalence of psoriasis is around 2%, and its estimated prevalence was reported to be high in Asia (11.8 %) and almost entirely absent in the aboriginal population of South America.²

Psoriasis prevalence is influenced by age, sex and its phenotypes. There are several clinical phenotypes of psoriasis; however, plaque psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris) is the most common phenotype and accounts for around 85%, followed by guttate psoriasis (more common in children than adults).¹