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BMC Dermatology
Published in: BMC Dermatology 1/2020

01-12-2020 | Vulgar Psoriasis | Research article

Epidemiology of psoriasis in hard-to-treat body locations: data from the Danish skin cohort

Authors: Alexander Egeberg, Kyoungah See, Alyssa Garrelts, Russel Burge

Published in: BMC Dermatology | Issue 1/2020

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Abstract

Background

Having psoriasis in hard-to-treat areas, i.e. the scalp, face, palms, soles, nails, and genitals, respectively, can impair patients’ quality of life. We investigated the prevalence of hard-to-treat body locations of psoriasis, and described patients’ clinical and demographic characteristics, and quality of life impacts in a population-based cohort.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study using a total of 4016 adults (≥18 years) with psoriasis from the Danish Skin Cohort. Groups were compared to patients without involvement of hard-to-treat areas.

Results

The most frequently affected hard-to-treat area was the scalp (43.0%), followed by the face (29.9%), nails (24.5%), soles (15.6%), genitals (14.1%), and palms (13.7%), respectively. Higher prevalence was generally seen with increasing psoriasis severity. Among all patients 64.8, 42.4, and 21.9% of patients had involvement of ≥1, ≥2, or ≥ 3 hard-to-treat areas. Those with involvement of certain hard-to-treat areas such as hands, feet, and genitals had clinically relevant DLQI impairments. Having involvement of one hard-to-treat area was significantly associated with other hard-to-treat areas affected even after adjusting for age, sex, and psoriasis severity.

Conclusion

Psoriasis commonly affects hard-to-treat locations, even in patients with mild disease. For some of these areas, patient-reported disease burden, e.g. as measured by DLQI, is impaired.
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Metadata
Title
Epidemiology of psoriasis in hard-to-treat body locations: data from the Danish skin cohort
Authors
Alexander Egeberg
Kyoungah See
Alyssa Garrelts
Russel Burge
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Dermatology / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1471-5945
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12895-020-00099-7

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