Psoriasis Diagnosis:

Diagnosis of Psoriasis usually does not present difficulties. Psoriasis diagnosis may be established on the basis of the Psoriatic Triad:

• Bright pink or a red lesions with pronounced edges, covered with silvery white scales. The scales can be easily separated from the lesions;
• Under the scales there appears a pinkish moist tender skin;
• With the scraping of the moist skin there appear tiny blood droplets.

Skin biopsy may be required in some cases in order to confirm the diagnosis of psoriasis.

Skin biopsy of the people with psoriasis reveals:

• Moderate benign thickening of the skin (i.e. acanthosis);
• Hardening of the skin due to excess keratin formation (i.e. hyperkeratosis);
• Continuous forming of the psoriatic skin (i.e. local parakeratosis);
• Expansion of capillaries (capillaries are tiny blood vessels that transfer oxygen to cells);
• Inflammatory skin infiltration from the lymphocytes (white blood cells of the immune system);
• Inflammatory skin infiltration from the macrophages (cell and particle ingesting cells of the immune system);
• Inflammation;
• Large Munro's abscesses (microscopic collections of white blood cells);
• The Munro's abscesses penetrate into the epidermis.

Blood analysis of the people with psoriasis reveals:

• Increased Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR, SED rate). ESR is a measurement of how quickly red blood cells settle on the bottom of a test tube. High sedimentation rate signals a possible inflammatory disease. High ESR is especially noted with Pustular Psoriasis;
• 10-20% increase in the content of the uric acid (a metabolic waste product);
• With severe psoriasis there is also noted a below normal number of red blood cells (anemia);
• An increase in the number of white blood cells is usually not noted.

Psoriatic Arthritis (aka Arthropathic Psoriasis) diagnosis is harder to make, as it can be mistaken for Rheumatoid Arthritis, especially in the absence of psoriatic lesions on the skin. Family history of psoriasis and a skin biopsy can help to make the correct Psoriatic Arthritis diagnosis.

If on your skin appeared any lesions, similar to psoriatic plaques, you should try to visit a dermatologist in order to get the correct diagnosis, be it a Psoriasis Diagnosis or another illness diagnosis.