PSORIASIS AND ANESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease. It is the most common chronic disease of the skin, often a debilitating dermatological ailment that affects up to 3 percent of the world’s population. The disease exhibits the characteristics of a high epidermal turnover rate accompanied with epidermal hyperplasia and accumulation. The dermal papillae and epidermis undergo ypertrophy and form cutaneous lesions that develop thick, loosely adherent scales (chronic plaque soriasis). The epidemiology is due to complex genetics and the disease is known to erupt due to many environmental factors including infection, bone marrow transplantation, stress, and malignancy. Lesions usually appear on the scalp, elbows, knees and the sacral region. In some cases, psoriasis can spread throughout the entire integument including the oral mucosa, palms, soles and even finger nails. Symptoms are cyclical, peaking usually during young adulthood (16 to 22 years of age) and during older ages (57 to 60 years of age).