A survey of psoriasis patients in Japan from 1982 to 2001.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The Japanese Society for Psoriasis Research has conducted an annual survey of psoriasis patients in Japan from 1982 to 2001.

OBJECTIVE:

To perform the epidemiological study about a survey of psoriasis patients conducted in Japan for twenty years.

METHODS:

A sample of 28628 cases was collected from 148 dermatology centers throughout Japan. The reports from each center were analyzed.

RESULTS:

Males (65.8%) were predominant over females (34.2%) in number. The vast majority of cases (86.0%) had plaque-form of psoriasis vulgaris, and 812 cases (2.8%) showed guttate psoriasis. Psoriatic erythroderma (0.8%), generalized pustular psoriasis (0.9%), and localized pustular psoriasis (0.5%) were rare. Three hundred of the patients (1.0%) manifested psoriatic arthritis. Local corticosteroids (67.8%) were the most used modalities, whereas local vitamin D(3) preparations (2.4%) were rarely used. For photo-therapeutic treatments, topical (12.1%) and systemic (7.5%) PUVA were predominant over UVB therapy (0.5%). In systemic treatments, drugs from the herbal medicine was the first (14.2%), followed by etretinate (7.6%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (4.4%), oral corticosteroids (4.1%), methotrexate (2.8%), cyclosporine (1.6%), and anti-cancer drugs (1.4%).

CONCLUSION:

This survey was the first epidemiological study throughout Japan.

• Authors: Akira Kawada, Tadashi Tezuka, Yoshio Nakamizo, Hideto Kimura, Hidemi Nakagawa, Muneo Ohkido, Akira Ozawa, Akira Ohkawara, Hitoshi Kobayashi, Shotaro Harada, Atsuyuki Igarashi, Japanese Society for Psoriasis Research
• Journal: Journal of dermatological science (J Dermatol Sci) Vol. 31 Issue 1 Pg. 59-64 (Feb 2003) ISSN: 0923-1811 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 12615365 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Cholecalciferol

Topics

• Administration, Topical
• Adrenal Cortex Hormones (administration & dosage)
• Adult
• Age Distribution
• Age of Onset
• Cholecalciferol (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Health Surveys
• Humans
• Japan (epidemiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Psoriasis (classification, drug therapy, epidemiology, pathology)
• Sex Distribution