Frequency of Various Dermoscopic Features in Clinically Diagnosed Cases of Plaque Psoriasis

Abstract

Introduction: Psoriasis, a chronic skin condition, presents with red, scaly plaques mainly on the body's extensor surfaces. Dermoscopy, a non-invasive tool, helps identify unique vascular and surface features of plaque psoriasis. This study aims to assess the frequency of dermoscopic characteristics like dotted vessels, vessel arrangement, white scales, and erythema in diagnosed plaque psoriasis patients. Methodology: A six-month cross-sectional study conducted at the Dermatology Unit-II, Mayo Hospital, Lahore, included ninty patients aged 16 to 60 diagnosed with plaque psoriasis using non-probability consecutive sampling. Exclusions comprised patients recently treated with corticosteroids or systemic drugs for psoriasis, or having concurrent skin infections. Dermoscopic examination with a DermLite DL3 dermatoscope aided by ultrasound gel highlighted key features like dotted vessels, a regular vascular pattern, white scales, and erythema. Data analysis using SPSS-26 involved descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests for associations, and considered a p-value of ≤0.05 significant. Results: Out of the 90 patients, 54.4% were male and 45.6% were female. The mean age was 44.09 ± 12.09 years. Patients were distributed as follows: 13.3% in the 16-30 years group, 33.3% in the 31-50 years group, and 53.3% in the 51-60 years group. The mean psoriasis duration was 9.16 ± 5.49 years, with 62.2% having the disease for ≤10 years and 37.8% for more than 10 years. Dot vessels were present in 83.3% of patients, white scales in 70.0%, erythema in 64.4%, and a regular vessel arrangement in 62.2%. Conclusion: Dermoscopy is valuable in diagnosing plaque psoriasis, with dotted vessels as a frequently seen feature. White scales, background erythema, and regular vascular arrangement are also commonly observed, emphasizing the utility of dermoscopy in diagnosis.