The Psoriasis Clinic
The Psoriasis Clinic at the Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania treats patients with
all types and severity of psoriasis. Patients
of every age can be treated, ranging from the
pediatric age group to the elderly.
Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease that
tends to be chronic in nature. It is thought
to be influenced by hereditary factors, although
the specifics have yet to be determined. While
psoriasis occurs in 1 to 2 percent of all Americans,
the frequency of this condition varies amongst
different ethnic groups. Both sexes are equally
affected.
Psoriasis can occur at any age. It most typically
develops for the first time in patients in their
late teens and early twenties. A second time
period of onset of this disease
occurs when patients are in their late 50's.
People with psoriasis develop a rash that can
be very uncomfortable. Red plaques can develop
that may be intensely itchy or painful.
Psoriasis can be also be associated with arthritis.
There are many treatments for psoriasis that
allow the disease to potentially be put into
remission for long periods of time. At the present
time there is no known cure for this condition.
The Psoriasis Clinic offers a broad range
of therapeutic modalities to treat this disease
depending upon the severity of the
illness. These include
medications applied directly to the skin such
as:
- topical steroids
- vitamin D derived ointments and creams
- retinoids (vitamin A derived medications)
- topical immunomodulating agents
- tar
- anthralin
Sometimes psoriasis lesions can be treated with
medication that is injected directly into the
individual lesions. For those with more extensive
psoriasis, ultraviolet light treatments can be
administered at the Phototherapy
Treatment Center.
The Phototherapy Treatment Center, and its affiliated
Day Care Unit, offers customized and intensive
treatment of psoriasis if warranted by the patient's
level of disease. Various systemic therapies
as well as the newer biologic agents are also
utilized in patients with more severe disease.
In addition to offering this broad range of
therapeutic approaches, patients may be able
to access new investigational agents being studied
by our Clinical Trials
Unit.
Location
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
2nd Floor, Rhoads Building
3600 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Travel Directions
and Public Transportation
Physicians
Abby
Van Voorhees, MD
Director, Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center
Joel
Gelfand, MD
Director, Clinical Trials Unit
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