Facial involvement and the severity of psoriasis

• Published in: International journal of dermatology Vol. 58; no. 11; pp. 1300 - 1304
• Main Authors: Passos, Adriana N., Rêgo, Vitória R. P., Duarte, Gleison V., Santos e Miranda, Rafaela C., Rocha, Bruno, Oliveira, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-11-2019
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Brazil; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographics; Dermatology; Ear; Face recognition; Facial Dermatoses - complications; Facial Dermatoses - diagnosis; Facial Dermatoses - pathology; Female; Humans; Lesions; Male; Middle Aged; Psoriasis; Psoriasis - complications; Psoriasis - diagnosis; Psoriasis - pathology; Quality of Life; Severity of Illness Index; Skin - pathology; Skin diseases; World population; Brazil
• ISSN: 0011-9059; 1365-4632
• DOI: 10.1111/ijd.14492

Background
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disorder characterized by well‐demarcated erythematous‐scaly lesions, affecting 0–6.6% of the world population. Facial lesions are neglected in most descriptions in current literature, although some studies indicate that it could be a predictor of psoriasis severity.
Objective
To compare the severity of psoriasis, measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), in patients with and without facial lesions.
Material and Methods
This is a cross‐sectional study, whose sample size was 63 individuals for each group. Subjects were included in the HUPES Complex Dermatology Service (Salvador/BA – Brazil) from April 2014 to January 2016. Demographic information was obtained using a prestructured form. Assessments of psoriasis severity and quality of life were done using PASI and DLQI, respectively.
Results
Facial lesions were detected on 63 (50.0%) of the 126 patients included. The pinna was the most frequently affected region (63.5%). Mean PASI in the group with facial involvement was 14.0 vs. 6.0, when facial involvement was absent. DLQI means for these groups were, respectively, 7.5 and 4.7.
Conclusions
Facial involvement in a psoriasis patient was a marker of disease severity, and its identification should influence the therapeutic decision.