Psoriasis lecture tour initiated across the GCC

Professor Robert Strohal, Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Federal University Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Austria, will be delivering the lectures in Dubai, Kuwait, Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh in the course of the coming week.

The presentation, entitled, 'Long Term Treatment Strategies, Efficacy and Safety of Biologics in the Management of psoriasis', covered a variety of topics including the physical and psychological impact of the disease as well as traditional therapies. 'Psoriasis can be very troubling for sufferers, especially when the symptoms are very visible to others.' said Dr. Strohal. 'Although there is no cure for psoriasis, the good news is that patients are now able to have an improved quality of life through accurate and unique treatment approaches'.

Psoriasis is a long-lasting skin disease that affects both men and women and is visible on the skin in the form of red itchy scales. Psoriasis usually appears on the elbows and knees of the patient, but sometimes may affect the lower back, face and the feet. In patients suffering from psoriasis there is abnormal cell proliferation where the cells embedded in the epidermis hyperproliferate much faster than in normal individuals and stack up on the surface of the skin.

Treatment of psoriasis can be quite a challenge, as a single mode does not necessarily work for all patients. Doctors usually make the choice of treatment after examining the severity of the disease and the type of the condition. On many occasions, doctors may need to switch treatments if they find the patient is not responding, or use a combination of various treatments.