Psoriasis in Tunisia

Psoriasis is a frequent, chronic, inflammatory dermatosis whose etiopathogenesis is still poorly understood. Although often benign, severe forms exist with important repercussions on the quality of life. The aim of our work was to study the epidemiological, evolutionary and therapeutic profile of psoriasis as well as its impact on the quality of life in Tunisia through a descriptive and multicentric study. We proceeded to the prospective collection of 238 patients consulting for psoriasis over a period from May to November 2010. The mean age of the patients was 40.8 ± 17.4 years with an onset age of 32.2 ± 17.2 years. There was a male predominance (62.7%) and among the cardiovascular risk factors, smoking was found in 39.2% of cases, followed by hypertension (11.3%), diabetes and dyslipidemia (9.7%). Family history of psoriasis was present in 26.5% of cases. Psoriasis vulgaris was the most common type of psoriasis (91.4%). Rheumatic involvement was present in 15.6% of cases. Psoriasis was a social and personal handicap in 8.4% of cases.