This document provides guidance on examining a patient with psoriasis and developing a management plan. It instructs the examiner to check for areas of tenderness, examine the hands, arms, torso, scalp, elbows, knees, groin and soles for characteristic red plaques with silver scales. Secondary features like nail changes and psoriatic arthropathy should also be noted. For management, potential triggers should be removed if possible and treatment options explained ranging from topical emollients, salicylic acid, tar preparations, steroids, dithranol, vitamin D analogues to systemic PUVA, retinoids, methotrexate or biological therapies depending on the severity and location of
This document provides guidance on examining a patient with psoriasis and developing a management plan. It instructs the examiner to check for areas of tenderness, examine the hands, arms, torso, scalp, elbows, knees, groin and soles for characteristic red plaques with silver scales. Secondary features like nail changes and psoriatic arthropathy should also be noted. For management, potential triggers should be removed if possible and treatment options explained ranging from topical emollients, salicylic acid, tar preparations, steroids, dithranol, vitamin D analogues to systemic PUVA, retinoids, methotrexate or biological therapies depending on the severity and location of
This document provides guidance on examining a patient with psoriasis and developing a management plan. It instructs the examiner to check for areas of tenderness, examine the hands, arms, torso, scalp, elbows, knees, groin and soles for characteristic red plaques with silver scales. Secondary features like nail changes and psoriatic arthropathy should also be noted. For management, potential triggers should be removed if possible and treatment options explained ranging from topical emollients, salicylic acid, tar preparations, steroids, dithranol, vitamin D analogues to systemic PUVA, retinoids, methotrexate or biological therapies depending on the severity and location of
This document provides guidance on examining a patient with psoriasis and developing a management plan. It instructs the examiner to check for areas of tenderness, examine the hands, arms, torso, scalp, elbows, knees, groin and soles for characteristic red plaques with silver scales. Secondary features like nail changes and psoriatic arthropathy should also be noted. For management, potential triggers should be removed if possible and treatment options explained ranging from topical emollients, salicylic acid, tar preparations, steroids, dithranol, vitamin D analogues to systemic PUVA, retinoids, methotrexate or biological therapies depending on the severity and location of
1. Identification, consent, rapport 2. General Examination: The patient is comfortable at rest and not in obvious pain Before I begin, can I check if there are any tender areas? 3. Hands: onycholysis, pitting, ridging, thickening.. 4. Progress up limbs: arms, torso Check typical places: Hands, elbows, knees Scalp Umbilicus, sacrum, groin, sole of foot Typical appearance: symmetrical well demarcated red plaques with silver scales. Note may just be read in flexures eg groin, with no scale 5. Describe lesion: site distribution, type, size, measure it! Shape, outline & border colour, surface features and textures? 6. When moving to scalp ensure you feel it (scalp feels rough or even lumpy) 7. Then look for other secondary sites of the disease Extras Koebner phenomenon: psoriatic lesions at sites of injury, e.g surgical scar Psoriatic athropathy: joint lesions, look at DIC joints of hands or rheumatoid pattern Special techniques: Auspitz sign where scraping of scales produces pin point bleeding Look for other forms of psoriasis e.g guttate (tiny spots with scale), palmar-plantar (pustular psoriasis) End Pieces I have come to the end of the examination, I will now record my findings ( wash hands) Thank you very much for helping. Do you have any questions? Summary: Mr S is comfortable at rest and has evidence of classical plaque psoriasis.. These lesions are symmetrically distributed over his elbows, knees and sacrum; they are well demarcated, oval and erythematous, with silver scales on the surface. There is also evidence of nail changes and some scalp psoriasis present. Secondary lesions such as psoriatic arthropathy are not present.
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Notes by Koudeza Khanom
Management 1. Explain nature of condition 2. Remove possible triggers where possible: streptococcal infection, drugs (eg beta blockers), stress, alcohol as any of these may exacerbate condition. 3. Treatment options a. Topical i. Emollients to prevent dryness and cracking (fissuring) ii. Salicyclic acid ointments to remove scale iii. Tar based preparations iv. Topical steroids v. Dithranol vi. Vitamin D analogues- slow cell division and differentiation vii. Tazorotene viii. Ultraviolet radiation b. Systemic i. PUVA ( psoralen and UV A) ii. Retinoids iii. Cytotoxics : methotrexate iv. Systemic Steriods v. Cylcosporin vi. Biological e.g monoclonal antibodies For example medium or large plaques might be treated topically with one of the following: Diprosalic ointment - contains steroid and salicylic acid Dithrocream: short contact treatment with dithranol applied to plaques for one hour, avoiding normal skin as it can irritate and stain and then washed off Dovonex- Calcipotriol cream- vitamin D analogue which does not smell or stain