Nail involvements as an indicator of skin severity in psoriatic patients

In this study, 71 psoriatic patients with a mean age of 39.23 ±17.9 years (mean ± Standard Deviation; range: 4 to 77 years old) were studied. 22 patients (31%) had nail involvements. PASI scores were 11.7±5.7 and 5.7±4.5 in the two groups with and without nail involvements, respectively (P<0.001). There were no significant differences between age, age of onset, and duration of the disease between the two groups (P>0.05).The correlation coefficient between PASI and NAPSI was 0.367, which was statistically significant (P<0.001).Based on the findings of our study, nail involvement is an important criterion in determining the severity of skin manifestations in psoriatic patients. Additionally, a high percentage of such patients probably manifest both skin and nail manifestations. Therefore it is highly recommended to consider nail involvement when evaluating psoriasis. 
Source: Acta Dermatovenerologica Croatica - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research