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A review of the epidemiology of psoriasis vulgaris in the community
Author(s) -
Plunkett Anne,
Marks Robin
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
australasian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.67
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1440-0960
pISSN - 0004-8380
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-0960.1998.tb01478.x
Subject(s) - medicine , psoriasis , epidemiology , dermatology , pathology
SUMMARY Standard diagnostic criteria for epidemiological studies of psoriasis are currently lacking. In their absence, clinical examination and diagnosis of psoriasis by dermatologists provides the gold standard to underpin epidemiological research in psoriasis. The methods of data collection used most frequently include cross‐sectional studies, case‐control studies, cohort studies, and surveys of hospital and private practice attendance. Estimates of psoriasis prevalence made in cross‐sectional studies employing clinical examinations as the survey instrument have ranged from 0.3 to 2.5%. Psoriasis incidence has been estimated at 60.4 per 100 000 person years in one cohort study. Several factors have been identified as being associated either with causation of psoriasis or with triggering exacerbations or remissions, including genetic determinants, racial and regional variation, injury and infection, cigarette smoking, alcohol, diet and other diseases.