PSORIASIS: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This article aimed to conduct a bibliographic survey on the epidemiology and pathophysiology of psoriasis, besides giving a brief update on its treatments. For the methodology of this work, a bibliographic survey was carried out using databases such as: Google Scholar, SciELO platform (Scientific Electronic Library Online), PubMed (National Library of Medicine) and Digital libraries that are available for research, as well as books, dissertations, theses and monographs. Psoriasis affects 6% of the world's population, also affecting men and women. It is characterized by immunomediated inflammation of the cutaneous tissue, which results in erythetosa-squamous desquamative plaques of different sizes, with a well-defined or irregular border, which appear in various locations outside the skin, having a preference for elbows, nails, trunk, knees and scalp. Its etiology involves genetic and environmental aspects. Diagnosis is clinical, and biopsy of the lesion is necessary for confirmation only in some cases. It can be divided into mild, moderate and severe, with great clinical variability, including: vulgar, valley, palmoplantar, inverse, erythrodermal, pustuous, nail and articular. Currently there is no cure, and the treatment aims to relieve symptoms and reduce the number of irritations, and may use topical or systemic medications depending on the severity of the condition.