Psoriasis overview, pathological mechanism, causes, risk factors.
Psoriasis is a dermatological disease which is characterized by  patches of inflamed, thick, gray and flaky skin, occasionally being itchy, burning or painful. These lesions are formed by large quantities of dead cells and if the surface is scratched and removed, the exposed layer of the skin appears to be red and tender.
The most common parts of the body, which can be affected, are areas that frequent pressure or friction are applied. These may be elbows, knees, feet, hands, groins, joints and knuckles. However, psoriasis may appear on the lower back, trunk, face, ears, scalp, navel, arms, legs, fingernails and toenails, as well.
Psoriasis is recurrent with a variable severity, depending on the age the first outbreak occurs. The younger the age the higher the severity is. Psoriasis cannot be transmitted from one person to another. Psoriasis can be present in both genders and statistics in the US and Europe show that nearly 3% of the population is affected. It has been estimated that 125 million people suffer from psoriasis worldwide. In nearly twenty percent of the cases, psoriasis coexists with psoriatic arthritis.
Although psoriasis is a lifelong disease, it is not life threatening neither causes any general health complications. However, psoriasis may result in psychological problems, because it affects the person’s appearance. Changes of personality, such as lack of confidence, embarrassment and depression may be some of them.
Depending on the clinical manifestations and the affected part of the body, psoriasis is classified as plaque, pustular, guttate, inverse, erythrodermic, fingernails, genital facial and scalp psoriasis.
Pathological mechanism of psoriasis.
The pathological mechanism of psoriasis is not well known. For some unexplained reason the psoriatic cells get old far faster than the healthy ones. A defective cell needs less than a week to mature, whereas a normal one requires at least twenty eight days to reach a similar state. This increased skin generation results in development of numerous, additional blood vessels in the area, skin thickening and massive shedding of dead cells. At the same time and for unknown reasons, the immune system activates and large numbers of white blood T cells accumulate in the area and trigger the release of cytokines and perhaps lymphokines and interleukins. These are proteins that produce the clinical image of inflation. It is remarkable that immunosuppressant agents can contribute to the ease of psoriasis symptoms.
Causes and risk factors of psoriasis.
The causes of psoriasis have not been identified yet. Psoriasis seems to be an autoimmune disorder. Studies have given important evidence that there might a hereditary predisposition for the disease.
Among some experts there is a notion that psychological factors can contribute to the occurrence of psoriasis but this is a quite controversial mater and further investigation may be required. Below we will present a number of risk factors rather than causes leading to psoriasis.
 Hormonal changes. Females seem to be more prone to psoriasis during puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
Obesity. Statistics indicate that obese people present psoriasis more often than others.
Dry skin. Psoriasis occurs more often in winter, when our skin can get dry because of the cold weather.
Medications. Certain drugs, such as beta blockers (Inderal) and lithium salts prescribed for management of high blood pressure and manic depression respectively can trigger the onset of psoriasis or worsen the symptoms. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Indomethacin and anti-malarial (Quinacrine, Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine) agents may present similar side-effects. Limited number of cases has been reported that the heart medication Quinidine has worsened psoriasis.
Harmful habits. Studies have shown that heavy drinkers and smokers are more prone to psoriasis.
Skin damages. Injuries and bacterial infections, especially if streptococcus is the pathogenic factor, are likely to be connected to psoriasis. Generally, infections by this germ, such as tonsillitis, can be a risk factor for psoriasis.
Excessive exposure to sunlight. Although reasonable exposure to sunlight may ease the manifestations of psoriasis, excessive exposure can trigger or deteriorate the disease in some people.
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