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Scalp psoriasis and Dermatology Life Quality Index: A retrospective study based on 12-year data from the Malaysian
Wei Cheng Leong1, Jyh Jong Tang2
1MBBS (IMU), MRCP(UK), Adv M Derm (UKM), Department of Dermatology Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh, Jalan Raja Ashman Shah, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Introduction:
Psoriasis affects approximately 2-3% of the population worldwide, although the overall prevalence in Asia is <0.5%. Scalp psoriasis is a common initial presentation of psoriasis, which affects almost 80% of patients with psoriasis.
Method:
This retrospective descriptive study investigated 1,671 patients with psoriasis with scalp involvement registered with the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry (MPR) from January 2007 to December 2018.
Results:
A total of 21,859 patients with psoriasis were registered with the MPR during the study period; among them, scalp involvement was seen in 7.6% (n= 1,671). Female sex preponderance (61%) was observed in the majority of Malay patients (58.5%), followed by the Chinese (16.9%), Indian (17.1%) and other ethnic patients (7.5%). A positive family history of psoriasis was identified in 22.7% (n=380). Approximately 34.8% (n=581) and 11% (n=172) of the patients had nail changes and psoriatic arthropathy, respectively. The mainstay treatment modality was topical treatment (93.6%), followed by systemic therapy (10%) and phototherapy (0.5%). The comorbidities found among the patients with scalp psoriasis included hypertension (27.9%), obesity (26%), dyslipidaemia (21%), diabetes mellitus (18.4%), ischaemic heart disease (5.4%) and cerebrovascular disease (1.3%). Approximately 23% reported a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) of >10, which indicated moderate-to-severe impairment.
Conclusion:
The proportion of patients with psoriasis with scalp involvement in our study (7.6%) is much lower than previous reports. Scalp psoriasis markedly negatively impacts the DLQI.
