Psoriasis Treatment
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder of the skin, which means that the body's defense system has turned on itself. This causes "angry red lesions to appear on the surface of the skin, multiply, and scale over with silvery patches" (1). Not only do they look hideous, but cause terrible itching and discomfort. "The word (psoriasis) comes from ancient Greece, and means 'to itch'" (1). This disease can be present from birth or not show up until a person is well into their adult years. They can also be found anywhere on the body, from the scalp to the elbows. Psoriasis affects about two percent of the population. The severity can range from a few spots to massive outbreaks covering the whole body, requiring hospitalization. Although the disease is genetically inherited, "it has triggers which can cause the body to go from a very mild case to a severe case within days" (1). Strep throat and spicy foods are examples of triggers that increase the severity. "There are also other factors, such as sunlight, which help decrease the severity" (1). There are many types of psoriasis including, nail, scalp, plaque, pustular, guttate, inverse, erythrodermic, and psoriatic arthritis. Plaque psoriasis is the most com
Thirteen consecutive patients with at least four large, stable psoriasis plaques were used. Excimer laser-generated 308-nm UV-B radiation was given to each of the four plaques, which received 1, 2, 4, and 20 treatments, respectively. Untreated areas within each plaque served as the control. With 308-nm UV-B radiation generated by an excimer laser, it is possible to clear psoriasis with as little as one treatment with moderately long remission (2). The patient was treated with intravenous granulocyte monocyte stimulating factor (GMSF). The GMSF was given on five consecutive days. On the sixth day, the psoriatic lesions cleared almost completely. There was 90% clearance of the lesions, with a PASI (Psoriasis Activity and Severity Index) being reduced (from 22) to 2.2. The patient also had improvement in joint pain. In addition, the generalized lymphadenopathy detected at admission had reduced considerably (5). However, some patients experienced discomfort in the normal skin surrounding the psoriatic patch with this method. Researchers also found that the psoriatic epidermal skin cells proliferated, or reproduced, at a much slower rate than normal, which means that the plaque formation would lessen and be controlled easier. According to Dr. Kevin Patrick, lymphadenopathy is an inflammation of the lymph nodes, which filter organisms and bacteria out of the bloodstream (4). However astounding these results may be, scientists still claim that "drug-induced agranulocytosis is a complex phenomenon, it is difficult to comment on its exact role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis" (5). mon type. Along with these irritating physical side effects are the emotional factors. This disease can cause its' victims to feel alienated from fellow coworkers and friends. People who have no experience with the disease tend to be dis
Some common words found in the essay are:
Treatment Psoriasis, Kevin Patrick, Exorex TM, Dermatology Netherlands, Severity Index, GMSF GMSF, Journal Dermatology, excimer laser, coal tar, treatment psoriasis, 308-nm excimer, 308-nm excimer laser, method treatment, uv-b radiation, form treatment, coal tar ointments, drug-induced agranulocytosis, hydrocolloid dressings, normal skin, 308-nm uv-b radiation,
Approximate Word count = 1242
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
