BY: Christian Choi Daniel Golland Paul Hwang

 Chronic non-contagious skin disorder which affects the skin and joints  Causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin  Red scaly patches are caused by psoriasis, called psoriatic plaques, and are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production.  Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes on a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently occur on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can affect any area including the scalp and genitals.

 Cause not known  Believed to have genetic link  Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis: ◦ stress ◦ excessive alcohol consumption ◦ smoking

 Psoriasis affects both sexes equally and can occur at any age, although it most commonly appears for the first time between the ages of 15 and 25 years  Other statistics of prevalence imply the effects of age and genetics

 It is believed that there is a genetic component involved with psoriasis.  Approximately one-third of people who develop psoriasis have at least one family member with the condition.  If one twin has psoriasis, then there is a 70% chance that the other twin is diagnosed with psoriasis.

 Different types of therapies, including: ◦ Topical treatment ◦ Phototherapy ◦ Photochemotherapy ◦ Systemic treatment  Alternative Therapies

 Due to various reasons, psoriasis can lead to other illnesses such as depression, congestive heart failure, and type-II diabetes  Due to its effect on the body, quality of life is often difficult to maintain