Psoriasis is a disorder of the immune system...

Sigfrid A. Muller, M.D.

Psoriasis (pso-ri-a-sis) is often mistaken for other skin diseases, such as eczema or dermatitis. But, psoriasis is actually a disorder of the immune system. It’s a chronic inflammatory skin condition that is caused in part by an overactive immune system that triggers the body to grow skin cells up to ten times faster than normal. Instead of shedding, these skin cells pile up on the surface and form red scaly patches or lesions called plaques. There are five types of psoriasis:

1. plaque
2. guttate
3. inverse
4. pustular 
5. erythrodermic