Psoriasis Diagnosis

The diagnosis of psoriasis is usually clinical which means that the doctors would diagnose psoriasis after a careful examination of the skin. The white silvery scales of psoriasis are very distinctive and guiding feature for diagnosis. Also, consideration of the history, family history, the spread on affected areas, etc. is taken into account to conclude the diagnosis of psoriasis. In cases of doubt doctor may ask the patient to do skin biopsy that means examining a small skin sample under a microscope. However this is not a routine practice.

When psoriasis affects the scalp, it may resemble a few conditions such as a. Dandruff . b. Seborrhoeic  dermatitis c. Eczema d. Lichen planus.

Diagnosis in terms of causative factors and triggers is also done through thorough case taking and analysis as limiting such factors has positive influence upon the outcome of treatment.