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Psoriasis
(DR009)

Introduction

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease marked by periodic flare-ups of sharply defined red patches covered by a silvery, flaky surface. In psoriasis, the epidermal cell cycle is accelerated. Cell division in the basal layer occurs every 1.5 days and the migration of keratinocytes to the stratum corneum occurs within just four days or so. Since the cells move to the surface so rapidly, they do not differentiate and mature properly. The stratum corneum is not fully keratinized, and epidermal cells build up abnormally and become scaly. The epidermis in psoriatic lesions is three to five times thicker than normal.

Psoriasis is a single disease with several forms of expression and a range of severity. The form that psoriasis takes in an individual person likely depends on genetic influences, environmental factors (e.g., traumatic and climate), associated diseases (especially infections), medications, and the status of the immune system.

The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, but it is thought that the primary process lies in the immune system with significant input from environmental factors. This is a focus of research for new treatments.

The primary goals of care are control of the lesions, minimization of side effects from treatment, and improvement in quality of life. Current treatment utilizes a variety of topical medications as well as ultraviolet light therapy.

MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information

The Medifocus Guide on Psoriasis provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:


What Your Doctor Reads:

This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:


MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information

MediFocus.com understands that consumers who are facing serious medical issues need access to credible, up-to-date medical information to help them make informed health-care decisions. That's why we've developed the MediFocus Guides...the most advanced and trustworthy patient research guides for over 200 chronic and life-threatening conditions. Each MediFocus Guide includes a detailed overview of the condition including information about diagnosis, treatment options, cutting-edge research, and new developments; excerpts of important journal articles from the current medical literature focusing on standard treatments and treatment options; a directory of leading authors and medical institutions who specialize in the treatment of the condition; and a listing of organizations and support groups where you can obtain additional information about the illness.

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