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Nail, Scalp, and Palmoplantar Psoriasis

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Abstract

Psoriasis can affect many areas of the body and treatments should target the areas of involvement. Nail disease is difficult to treat with topical therapy as the vehicle must be optimized to penetrate the nail and surrounding tissues. Some of the inflammation in nail disease is deep in the nail matrix and thus difficult for topical therapies to access. Scalp disease is difficult to treat with topical and phototherapy due to the presence of hair, bathing habits, and convenience issues. The palms and soles often have particularly thick plaques of psoriasis which may prevent absorption of topical therapy and resist phototherapy. Patients with primarily palmoplantar disease often do not respond to multiple therapies, and many require combination therapy for disease control. Collectively, nail, scalp, and palmoplantar psoriasis are considered “tough to treat” and often do not respond as well as plaque psoriasis elsewhere on the body. This chapter critically addresses the challenges posed by each condition and evaluates available treatment options.

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Correspondence to Jeffrey J. Crowley MS, MD, FAAD .

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Crowley, J.J. (2018). Nail, Scalp, and Palmoplantar Psoriasis. In: Yamauchi, P. (eds) Biologic and Systemic Agents in Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66884-0_17

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