WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Fatin Ahmed Fakhry and Haider Al-Sabak*

ABSTRACT

Background: Psoriasis is a common skin disease that is characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and immune system alterations. The most prevalent type is chronic plaque psoriasis. Objective: To estimate the severity and treatment patterns in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which had been conducted at the department of dermatology and venereology in Al-Sader medical city of Al-Najaf Governorate and Marjan medical city of Babylon Governorate during the period between December 2021 and September 2022. Patients history regarding age, sex, age of onset, duration of the disease, type of therapy including topical steroid, methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin, and biological therapy, duration of therapy 4-6 months, family history of psoriasis, smoking, and past medical history. Full examination was done and psoriasis severity was identified by measuring the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI score). Results: Assessment of PASI score showed that (N=100, 50%) of patients had a mild disease, there was a significant association between the age of patients and the psoriasis severity and higher PASI score were reported in males compared to females. The examination of PASI score according to different modalities of systemic therapy showed higher mean PASI score for patients treated with acitretin (16.72±7.56) and lowest mean PASI scores for those received etanercept and adalimumab (3.38±3.63, 4.13±3.68) respectively. Conclusion: The study showed higher PASI score with older age patients and males show more severe psoriasis than females. Lower PASI score was detected in patients treated with biological agents while highest PASI score was reported in those treated with acitretin.