Tests and terminology in psoriasis: P

The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) is a score used by doctors and nurses to record psoriasis severity. It is widely used to assess the progress of people receiving treatment for psoriasis, particularly in research trials. PASI has become the most widely used measure of psoriasis severity internationally. It does not examine arthritis for which other scores are available. Read more

the process by which psoriatic skin cells continuously form and move upward to the skin surface faster than they can be incorporated into the skin, resulting in them scaling off

ointments in which powder is suspended

Primary Care Group

Primary Care Trust

Psoriasis Disability Index

The Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool is used as a method of assessing a patient with psoriasis for referral to a rheumatologist.  There are five simple yes/no questions about swollen joints and heel pain.  When three or more ‘yes’ answers are given that should initiate the referral process.

Physician’s Global Assessment is a 5-6 point scoring system that is used to assess disease severity and is believed to be a useful quick intuitive system for General Physicians.

when light therapy and drug therapy are used in combination

treatment with artificial ultraviolet light

an inactive drug with no medicinal value, used as method of ‘control’ in clinical trials

a flattish, raised, scaly patch on the skin more than 2 cm across and formed by psoriasis

psoriasis characterised by red, silvery-white, scaly skin lesions, accounting for about 80 percent of all cases

Prescription Only Medication

The Psoriasis Symptom Inventory, is a scoring system which is shown to be reliable and discriminative by enabling patients to score the severity of their own psoriasis.  In clinical trials it has correlated well with the PASI (Psoriasis Area Severity Index) scoring system used by doctors.

a persistent skin disease in which the skin becomes inflamed, producing red, thickened areas with silvery scales, most often on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back

a genetically driven autoimmune disease affecting large and small joints that occurs in less than 10 percent of psoriasis patients

 psoriasis characterised by pus-like blisters on the skin usually occurring on the hands or feet

pus-filled lesions and intense scaling.

 Psoralen and UV-A Treatment