Psoriasis is a common illness, affecting at least 2 to 3 % of the French

population. It impinges on quality of life-sometimes seriously. Yet

more than half of patients do not take proper care of themselves,

either because they become disheartened or because the treatments

strike them as more restrictive than the psoriasis. Psoriasis cannot be

treated, therefore, without placing the patient, not the illness, firmly at

the centre of therapeutic negotiations.

This Practical Guide explores psoriasis in all its clinical guises. Using

highlights from physiopathology, various facets of the illness are

reviewed, as is the full complement of hypotheses formulated to try

and understand psoriasis.

The clinical characteristics and their variations are expounded with the

help of copious illustrations. The ample collection of pictorial material

also highlights the salient points of differential diagnosis.

A large part of the work, of course, is given over to the therapeutic

management of this chronic illness. Aspects of global management are

set out, which include assessing the severity of the psoriasis and the

whole discussion that ensues in order to gain acceptance for the

treatment best suited to the patient, once all parameters have been

taken on board.

The full raft of therapeutic means available to the practitioner is then

studied: topical treatments, general treatments (pre-treatment

checkup, monitoring, strategy for use, side-effects, combination

therapies). Finally, the author showcases the different strategies to be

adopted, according to the situation (crisis situation, maintenance

treatment, alternate treatments etc.), the patient (child, fertile woman,

patient suffering from another pathological condition) or the site

(scalp, nails, face, auditory canals and so on).