Is there a relationship between clinical severity of psoriasis and histopathological findings? A clinicopathological study

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between histopathologic findings and clinical severity of psoriasis.

Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 51 cases with psoriasis vulgaris diagnosed both clinically and histopathologically through a skin biopsy were analyzed. The sections prepared from the paraffin blocks of the cases were examined microscopically and the findings were recorded for various histopathological features. The psoriasis area severity index (PASI) used to assess the severity of the disease. Data regarding PASI were obtained from the patients'medical files. The patients were then grouped as those with high PASI score (>= 10) and low PASI score (<10).

Results: The study showed male predominance with male: female ratio-1.5:1 of psoriasis vulgaris cases (31 males, 20 females). Family history of psoriasis was positive in 29% patients. The most prevalent histopathological features were hyperkeratosis (100%), parakeratosis (100%) (focal parakeratosis (23%), confluent parakeratosis (77%)), elongation of rete ridges (98%), and vascular dilatation (88%). Out of the patients, 30 (58.8%) had low PASI score (<10), whereas 21 (41.2%) had high PASI score (>= 10). There was no relationship between the severity of the disease (PASI score) and any of the histopathological features.

Conclusion: Although there are characteristic histopathological findings of psoriasis, none of these histopathological findings are directly related to the clinical severity of the disease.