Basic Summary for Psoriasis

Main name of condition: Psoriasis
Other names or spellings:

What is Psoriasis?
  Brief description of Psoriasis: Chronic skin rash condition, usually red or silver and blistery.
  Parent types of Psoriasis: Autoimmune diseases, Skin conditions, Rheumatic conditions
  Organs Affected by Psoriasis: skin, eyes, joints, nails
  Types of Psoriasis: Plaque psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris), Guttate psoriasis, Pustular psoriasis, Inverse psoriasis, Erythrodermic psoriasis

How many people get Psoriasis?
  Prevalance of Psoriasis: 5.5 million people in the USA (NIAMS)
  Prevalance Rate of Psoriasis: approx 1 in 49 or 2.02% or 5.5 million people in USA [about data]
  Prevalance of Psoriasis: Psoriasis affects between 1 and 2 percent of the United States population, or about 5.5 million people.¹ ... Psoriasis is common and may affect more than 2 out of 100 Americans.² ... Psoriasis affects 1.5 to 2 percent of the United States population, or almost 5 million people.³

Who gets Psoriasis?
  Patient Profile for Psoriasis: Typically adults but any age possible.
  Profile for Psoriasis: Although the disease occurs in all age groups and about equally in men and women, it primarily affects adults.¹ ... It occurs in all age groups and about equally in men and women.³
  Gender Profile for Psoriasis: Males and females equally.

How serious is Psoriasis?
Complications of Psoriasis: see complications of Psoriasis

What causes Psoriasis?
  Causes of Psoriasis: Recent research indicates that psoriasis is likely a disorder of the immune system. This system includes a type of white blood cell, called a T cell, that normally helps protect the body against infection and disease. Scientists now think that, in psoriasis, an abnormal immune system causes activity by T cells in the skin. These T cells trigger the inflammation and excessive skin cell reproduction seen in people with psoriasis. ¹
  Class of Condition for Psoriasis: autoimmune
  Causes of Psoriasis: see causes of Psoriasis
  Risk factors for Psoriasis: see risk factors for Psoriasis

What are the symptoms of Psoriasis?
Symptoms of Psoriasis: see symptoms of Psoriasis

Can anyone else get Psoriasis?
Contagion of autoimmunity: generally not; see details in contagion of autoimmune diseases.
Inheritance: see inheritance of Psoriasis

How is it treated?
Treatments for Psoriasis: see treatments for Psoriasis
Research for Psoriasis: see research for Psoriasis

Society issues for Psoriasis
Hospitalization statistics for Psoriasis: The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Psoriasis:

0.09% (12,060) of hospital episodes were for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
97% of hospital consultations for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
51% of hospital episodes for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
49% of hospital episodes for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
12% of hospital admissions for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
13.4 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
11 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
49 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
69% of hospitalisations for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
7% of hospitalisations for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
61% of hospitalisations for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.11% (56,600) of hospital bed days were for papulosquamous disorders including psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.08% (10,350) of hospital consultant episodes were for psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
96% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriasis required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
52% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriasis were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
48% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriasis were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
13% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriasis required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
13.8 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
12 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
48 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
71% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriasis occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
6% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriasis occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
57% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriasis were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.11% (55,258) of hospital bed days were for psoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.001% (150) of hospital consultant episodes were for parapsoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
100% of hospital consultant episodes for parapsoriasis required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
73% of hospital consultant episodes for parapsoriasis were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
27% of hospital consultant episodes for parapsoriasis were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
2% of hospital consultant episodes for parapsoriasis required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
6.2 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for parapsoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
4 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for parapsoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
47 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for parapsoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
75% of hospital consultant episodes for parapsoriasis occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
7% of hospital consultant episodes for parapsoriasis occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
91% of hospital consultant episodes for parapsoriasis were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.0002% (82) of hospital bed days were for parapsoriasis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.0001% (13) of hospital consultant episodes were for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
92% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
62% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
38% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
17% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
9.7 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
10 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
49 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
77% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
8% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
54% of hospital consultant episodes for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.0001% (58) of hospital bed days were for psoriatic and enteropathic arthropathies in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Questions and Answers About Psoriasis: NIAMS
2. excerpt from Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID
3. excerpt from Psoriasis: NWHIC

Last revision: June 12, 2003

Medical Tools & Articles:

Next articles:

Medical Articles: