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While many people understand psoriasis is a skin disorder characterized by thick scaly plaques on the skin, the disease can actually manifest itself in a number of different forms. Pustular psoriasis, for example, is a chronic inflammatory condition that appears on the skin as blisters of noninfectious pus surrounded by red skin. “The appearance is quite different than the pink, scaly plaques characteristic of plaque psoriasis, the more common form of the disease,” says Dr. Adam Mamelak, board-certified dermatologist in Austin, Texas. But both forms of the disease can appear at the same time and in some cases, or one form may follow the other.
The inflammation leading to pustular psoriasis is thought to be an autoimmune response. But the pustular psoriasis outbreaks can be triggered by a number of medical or environmental factors, such as medications, irritating topical agents, overexposure to the sun, stress, and even pregnancy. “The pink skin and pus-filed blisters may look like a skin infection,” says Dr. Mamelak. “But this pus is actually a collection of white blood cells in the top layers of the skin, and the condition is not contagious.”
Dr. Mamelak treats patients with psoriasis at Sanova Dermatology. As he explains, there are three types of pustular psoriasis:
Patients no longer have to suffer from the physical and emotional discomfort that comes with psoriasis. Several good and effective treatments are available, and your dermatologists may opt to use more than one at the same time, or in sequence. “Phototherapy exposes the skin to a special ultraviolet light for therapeutic effect,” says Dr. Mamelak. There is also medication in the form of creams, pills and shots available, that can lead to disease remission and clear skin.
If you would like more information about how to control or treat your psoriasis, please contact us.