Palmoplantar lesions in psoriasis: a study of 3065 patients

Although palmoplantar psoriasis can be severely disabling, there are very few large clinico-epidemiological studies on this condition. Our purpose was to study the morphology and pattern of lesions in Indian patients with palmoplantar psoriasis and to elucidate the role of occupation in the incidence/localization of these lesions. All patients attending our Psoriasis Clinic from 1993 to 2000 were screened for palmoplantar lesions and their demographic characteristics, occupation and the exact localization of the lesions were noted. Out of 3,065 patients screened, 532 had palm and/or sole involvement. Plantar lesions were seen in 91.9% and palmar lesions in 55.6% of these patients. Four distinct patterns of lesion localization were noted on the palms and 5 patterns on the soles. Almost half of the men involved in regular manual labor had palmar lesions restricted to areas exposed to pressure, whereas only a quarter of other men had this type of lesion pattern. All patients with unilateral palmar lesions had them on their dominant hand and these patients were involved in regular manual labor. In our patients, the prevalence of plantar lesions was much higher than that of palmar lesions. The possible role of occupational trauma in lesion localization in Indian patients with palmoplantar psoriasis is discussed.