Psoriasis (Greek for "psora" - "skin disease, scarring" translation) is a non-infectious chronic pathology, also known as scaly lichen, which occurs mainly in the knee and elbow joints, lower back and head. Joints, bones, nails, external genitals, and internal organs are also present with psoriasis, but these forms are rarely diagnosed. The pathology is difficult to cure, so when the first symptoms and red rash appear, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
Symptoms
Stearin stain
The first sign of psoriasis is part of a triad of pathological symptoms. It is characterized by increased peeling after the affected surface has been scraped off with a spatula. Over time, it separates from the papules of silver-white scales. They are not difficult to remove as they become loose and poorly adhere to the psoriasis papules. The surface of the neoplasms (rashes) whitens, the particles crumble and resemble chips.
The first phenomenon of the Triassic is explained by the development of parakeratosis (malfunction of the epithelium leading to violation of the formation of the stratum corneum). Topical non-hormonal agents (creams, ointments) are used to overcome the differences in the initial stage.
Terminal film
It is characterized by the removal of a thin layer of fabric from the papules, which has a glossy texture and looks like polyethylene. After removal of the dried flakes, it can be easily separated by any blow (pressure, friction, etc. ).
The terminal film is the last layer that is removed from the skin. Further scraping leads to the last stage of the triple - dripping bleeding.
At this stage, herbal baths, antiallergic drugs, natural-based ointments (without corticosteroids and hormones) are used.
Accurate bleeding
After removal of the terminal foil, dripping bleeding occurs in the affected area of the skin (auspits symptom or "bloody dew") and an increase in accelerated neoplasms is observed, sometimes reaching the size of a pea and referred to as lentils. In some cases, the papules grow to the diameter of a small coin and differentiate as nummular. As the disease progresses, their growth increases and, in combination, psoriatic plaques form.
Retinoids, immunomodulators, anti-inflammatory drugs and physiotherapy are used for the treatment.
Others
The disease can also be identified by other characteristic signs, the main ones being 4:
- Its rim is red, not covered by scales that form around the papules.
- There are small rashes on the clean skin surface (usually before the progressive stage of psoriasis).
- The symptom that helps differentiate between psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis is characteristic of the active stage of the pathology. It is characterized by the appearance of papules with clear borders on the scalp; this does not occur in seborrheic dermatitis.
- A light, shiny skin rim appears around the formation. The symptom is characteristic of the regression phase of the disease and occurs when the papules disappear.
How does he look like
In most cases, the development of the pathology is inconspicuous: in the early stages, psoriasis affects small areas of the skin, especially on the flexions of the limbs, along the head, and along the hair.
Attention!Initial manifestations occur at the site of permanent mechanical irritation of the skin, such as where clothing is rubbed and pressed.
Common symptoms:
- itchy;
- excessive dryness of the skin;
- peeling of abnormal elements;
- general deterioration in health (weakness, lethargy, fever).
There are 3 stages in the development of abnormal papules:
- Advanced.A light pink tinge appears on the rash, surrounded by a rich, slightly hazy rim. In the middle of the papules, the skin peels off, giving the formations a white color. At this stage, the rash may appear at the site of scratches, skin injuries, bites, cuts, punctures, or burns.
- Stationary.It begins 1 to 4 weeks after the onset of the disease. New plaques do not appear, old ones get a light color, the intensity of peeling decreases.
- Decreasing.Plaques and papules fade in color, their infiltration decreases, and the formations dissolve. The average duration of the decomposition period is between 2 and 6-8 months.
Symptoms of the disease depending on the type:
- Patch(ordinary or vulgar). The most common type of pathology. Red oval or round plaques appear in different parts of the body (more often on the elbows, knees, head), covered with silver-white scales on top.
- Seborrheic.It mainly occurs on the scalp. It manifests as peeling and itching, spreading to the area behind the ears and to the skin along the hair.
- Pustularthe type is the most severe form, develops rapidly and affects large areas of the skin. Painful rashes appear on the body with local fever, weakness, headache, diarrhea. Vesicles filled with exudate soon form in the lesions. In the future, the spots will progress, merging with each other, forming large lesions on the body.
- Intertriginous.With the appearance of bright red papules typical of children, with slight peeling (may not exist).
- Exudative.The affected areas of the skin not only peel off, but wet, yellowish crusts form on the surface of the plaques.
- Psoriatic erythroderma.Silvery, yellow or white scaly red plaques are observed in the body. It is accompanied by an increase in lymph nodes and an increase in body temperature. In the future, the formations will merge into large patches that will cause irritation and itching.
- Psoriatic arthritis.It is accompanied by "joint syndrome" in which the skin in the area of the joints (the wrist, the wall of the fingers, the spine and so on) is affected and if the measures are not taken in time the disease affects the joints.
- Tearsit is accompanied by abundant rashes consisting of many tiny plaques. In this case, the papules are in the form of drops, ranging in color from bright red to purple.
- Point.It is characterized by the formation of tiny patches on different areas of the body that resemble dots, and the dermis may not peel off.
- Rupioid.One type of chronic psoriasis. Crusts appear on the formations, become taller, take the shape of a cone.
- Oldit manifests itself in large papules that do not last long, sometimes developing papillomas and warts on them.
- Psoriaticus onychialeads to deformation of the nails, yellow-brown spots appear beneath them.
- Palmar sole.It appears on the palms and soles. The main symptoms are thickening of the skin, dryness, cracks.
- The mucosa is psoriasisit affects the oral cavity and provokes the appearance of plaques on the mucous membranes.
The localization of pikkelysmr
Hands
In most cases, rashes appear on the surface of the elbow or between the toes. Rarely are papules recorded on the forearm.
Attention!Hands are characterized by the plaque form of pathology, but others are also found. Indication of red tinting small spots, quickly covered with white scales, the affected skin is rougher.
Legs
Psoriatic formations occur primarily on the legs in the knee area, but may also develop on other parts of the legs.
The first rash is single and small, with a clear outline but loose, inflamed and strongly flaky. These precise papules spread rapidly to form conglomerates.
Head
It often develops in the background of seborrhea, affecting the hair follicle, forming the so-called psoriasis crown. Skin formations gradually grow and spread throughout the surface, similar to dandruff. This localization is quite common, with rash appearing less often on or behind the ears.
Nails
The type of nail plate can be affected by:
- Thimble- the shape of the psorysmr point. Small pits appear on the nails, reminiscent of traces of needle punctures.
- Onychomycosis- the nail changes color, becomes dull, noticeably thickens and begins to peel. A psoriatic papule surrounded by a reddish rim is visible through the plate, similar to an oil slick.
Body
It usually manifests itself as characteristic papules that merge with each other. Psoriasis is more common on the back, less common on the neck, abdomen, hips, and the formations can be drop-shaped, pointed, and plaque-shaped.
Face
Rarely affected, the rash is located in the nasolabial folds, in the temples and eyebrows, around the eyes. Rarely, the pathology affects the border of the lips, the rash resembles herpes.
Palms and feet
It affects both zones at the same time, but there have been cases where the pathology has developed only in the legs or palms. On the sole, the disease is often combined with fungal pathology, which greatly complicates diagnosis and therapy.
This type of psoriasis is divided into 3 types:
- Papular plaque- the formations are dense, do not protrude above the skin, it is difficult to separate the scales from the plaque. The rash occurs in the peripheral areas, accompanied by edema and keratosis.
- Psoriatic callus- round dense papules consisting of keratinized epidermis. The skin layer gradually thickens and roughens. As a result, it is easily damaged, cracks appear. There is practically no redness, the size of the growths ranges from 2-3 millimeters to 2-3 centimeters.
- Vesicular-pustular- manifests itself in the form of abnormal-purulent papules. The bubbles are 2 millimeters in diameter and tend to coalesce.
Joints
Pathology can affect the joints of a person, leading to changes in the structure of tissues, which are accompanied by progression with pain and deformity. External symptoms: reddish rash appears on the skin. Internal signs - the joints are sore, especially during sleep, stiff movement, swelling can be felt.
Important!First, psoriasis affects the tiny joints of the feet and hands, then spreads to the knees and elbows, and at an advanced stage, the intervertebral joints are already suffering.
Itching or not
In most cases, psoriatic disease is associated with itching of varying intensity, sometimes not just patches but the whole body itching. In the initial stage, the itching is mild, gradually increasing.
The degree of intensity also depends on the location of the pathology. For example, psoriasis on the head is very itchy while the skin is peeling and falling off in large flakes, larger than normal dandruff size. In the standing phase, the itching decreases, often giving way to the burning sensation. During remission, all major symptoms are mild.
The itching gets worse:
- relapse;
- climate change;
- general poisoning;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- scabies, allergy connection;
- HIV infections.
The skin is itchy heavily after consuming coffee, alcoholic beverages, spicy and spicy foods, chocolate and other allergens.
How to distinguish
In case of eczema
- The nature of the rash.With eczema, the blisters or blisters are filled with fluid that leaks intermittently. Psoriasis is characterized by the appearance of dry scaly papules, and when removed, blood appears.
- Itchy skin.Eczema causes the body to itch more than the pathology of psoriasis.
- Color.In psoriasis, the scales have a silvery hue, and in eczema, the affected areas will be bright red or scarlet.
- Sore areas.Eczema affects the soft, sensitive areas of the skin, armpits and groin. Psoriasis is characterized by a rash on rough, hard and thick layers of skin (knee, elbow, head and others).
- Causes of the disease.Psoriasis is often caused by neurogenic factors, and eczema is an allergy and a malfunction of the body.
- Characteristics of manual rashes.With psoriasis, pits form on the nail plate and the eczema is similar to a fungal infection.
In seborrheic dermatitis
The clinical manifestations of the diseases are similar, but they can be distinguished by several characteristics:
- psoriasis is characterized by unhealthy skin light and bloody cracks, and this is not observed in seborrheic dermatitis;
- dermatitis, unlike psoriasis, is not accompanied by roughening and severe dryness of the skin;
- with psoriasis, the scales are silvery, the seborrhea yellow or white;
- seborrheic scales are easily removed, but psoriasis is not;
- dermatitis is more often observed at the sites of sebaceous gland accumulation, and scaly disease - throughout the body;
- scalp psoriasis noticeably extends beyond the area of hair growth, and seborrheic pathology does not cross this line;
- the area of the lesion associated with scaly lichen is much larger than that of dermatitis.
From mushrooms
- Psoriasis occurs in the presence of a number of provocative factors, such as heredity, mechanical damage to the skin, malfunction of the immune system, and so on. The causative agent of the second disease is only the spores of parasitic fungi.
- The pathology of psoriasis is non-communicable and does not spread through droplets in the air, either sexually or by touch.
Attention!Fungus (onychomycosis) affects all contact, including public areas - sauna, swimming pool, gym, etc. It spreads from animals and humans.
- With psoriasis of the head, the structure of the hair does not change, while fungal disease leads to brittleness, dryness and hair loss.
- Unlike scaly lichen, onichomycosis of the legs and feet is accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
- By defeating scaly nails, their structure changes already in the initial stage, and in the case of fungi, the structure and color of the nail plates do not change for a long time.
Made of pink lichen
The hallmark of psoriasis is the "psoriasis triad. "The disease gradually increases and goes through 3 stages. Pityriasis rosea (pityriasis) develops rapidly and is constantly evolving. In addition, pityriasis is an infectious disease, but scaly lichen is not.
From neurodermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis (neurodermatitis) is of allergic origin and is caused by a certain substance such as plant pollen, food, animal hair, and so on. The causes of psoriasis are different (heredity, decreased immunity, psychosomatics, mechanical damage to the skin, etc. ).
- In neurodermatitis, the skin dries out and becomes rough, with psoriasis becoming scaly and bleeding.
- Dermatitis plaques consist of discrete small elements, in the case of shingles, the papules are even and covered with silvery scales.
- The color of the rash with psoriasis is much lighter than in neurodermatitis.
For gout
The difference between gout and psoriatic arthritis lies in the cause of development. Gout occurs when uric acid crystals are deposited in the cartilage of the joints. Deviations from the norm can be caused by: arterial hypertension, obesity, diuretics, alcohol consumption, etc.
The symptoms of psoriasis and gout are similar - severe pain at night, stiffness in movement, redness and swelling in the affected area. However, with psoriasis, in most cases, characteristic red rashes appear first, followed by pain.
Other characteristic symptoms of gouty arthritis include:
- the presence of white nodules in the area of the affected joint;
- signs of kidney stones (back pain, blood in the urine and others).