Medical Questions » Psoriasis Questions » Question No. 823
| Question: | How can a doctor diagnose psoriasis? ! have been told that I have it, but it just looks like a patch of eczema to me. |
| Answer: | This distressing, and sometimes disfiguring skin disease, affects up to two out of every one hundred people in the population.
Psoriasis first appears as a small patch of red skin covered with fine scales. The elbows, knees and scalp are the most common sites affected, but the rash may cover any part of the body. The small spot gradually enlarges, roughens, and the skin thickens. Then other spots start in other areas, and over a period of months, a large part of the body may be affected.
In the scalp, it may appear to be a bad case of dandruff until a doctor makes the diagnosis. The nails may also be affected, and they become rough and pitted. In severe cases, it can even cause a form of arthritis.
Skin diseases often appear similar, even to doctors, and if there is doubt about the diagnosis, a small piece of skin may be cut out and sent to a pathologist to examine under a microscope. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, appropriate treatment to control the disease can be commenced.
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