This is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin characterised by hyperkeratotic, erythematous plaque with silvery-white scales that may or may not be accompanied by itching.
It affects 2-3% of the population and affects both sexes equally. It can appear at any age, although it tends to start between 15 and 35 years of age.
The most common form of psoriasis is Ps vulgaris, or plaque psoriasis. Psoriasis lesions can affect any part of the body, but the most frequent locations are the scalp (>50%), nails(1) (30-50%), elbows (2), knees (3) and lumbar-sacral region. Different studies suggest that there is a genetic predisposition to psoriasis and that it can be triggered or exacerbated by various factors: environment, stress, medication, etc. It causes an inflammatory response of the skin, normally accompanied by thickening of the skin due to accelerated cell turnover, which can increase from the usual 28 days to just 3-5 days.
