| Psoriasis
Diagnosis (part 2) Excema Psoriasis
Distinguishing
Psoriasis from Other Conditions
The diagnosis of psoriasis is
usually straightforward. Still, several conditions can
often be confused with psoriasis, eczema and fungal
(tinea) infections being the most common. |
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| Eczema
Eczema
differs from psoriasis in several ways.
When eczema first appears it
is often wet and oozing. Psoriasis is usually dry with
thick scales.
Eczema is often very itchy,
whereas psoriasis is often mildly itchy or not itchy
at all. Some patients
with psoriasis, however, can have itchy
lesions.
Cracks in the skin are often
present in eczema.
Patients with a hereditary form
of eczema, called atopic eczema/dermatitis, often have
a history of
hay fever or asthma.
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Most cases of atopic eczema
begin before two years of age, whereas most cases of
psoriasis occur
in adults.
Eczema usually lacks the silvery
scale of psoriasis.
When eczema first appears, it
is usually difficult to see a clear, well-defined border
separating normal
skin from eczema. In plaque psoriasis,
there is a well-defined border that can usually be clearly
distinguished from normal skin.
Eczema may be confused with
psoriasis, particularly if it has been present for several
years.
Hand or foot eczema may resemble
psoriasis, as the skin can be very thick.
Eczema patients usually lack
the nail changes seen in psoriasis patients.
Fungal Infections (Tinea)
Fungal skin infections
(commonly known as "ringworm") are infections
of the skin and nails that can
resemble psoriasis.
They may cause raised,
red, scaly areas of the scalp (tinea capitis), body
(tinea corporis), and hands
or feet (tinea pedis).
Fungal skin infections
may also involve the nails.
To establish a diagnosis, your
doctor may take a scraping of the skin or clippings
from the nail. These can be examined under a microscope,
or cultured, and a diagnosis of fungus can be made,
if positive.
Candidiasis
In the groin or under
the breasts, Candida infections (caused by yeast) may
appear similar to inverse
psoriasis.
Taking a small scraping
and examining the skin under the microscope can help
distinguish psoriasis
from Candida infections.
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