Psoriasis is a common disease, which has a considerable impact on the healthcare system. Therefore, appropriate use of therapeutic resources is very important. Management of psoriasis in daily clinical practice is highly variable because many issues are still debated and not definitely addressed by the evidence-based medicine. Moreover, the different availability and reimbursability of drugs in each country justifies national guidelines. Expert consensus can provide helpful guidelines for optimizing patient care. A total of 20 dermatologists from different areas of Italy and with large experience in the treatment of psoriasis agreed to participate in the guidelines expert panel who aimed to reach consensus on the factors influencing psoriasis severity, the indications for systemic treatments, the parameters to be considered in the choice of treatment, and the factors to be considered in the choice of biological treatment. The recommendations for the use, screening and monitoring of systemic therapies were based on the 2015 S3 European Dermatology Forum/European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology psoriasis guidelines. Recommendations on the treatment of psoriasis in special patient populations were also agreed. The final document was discussed in a meeting moderated by a facilitator with participation of the entire group and adopting a nominal group technique to reach consensus. A statement was regarded as consented when agreement was achieved by at least 75% of the voting experts according to the Delphi procedure.
We report the clinical features and pathological findings in 23 patients with idiopathic trachyonychia (twenty-nail dystrophy). Clinically, the nail changes in the majority of patients consisted of the typical 'sandpapered' appearance, with a rough, lustreless nail plate. In some, however, the nail plate abnormality was less severe, with numerous small, superficial pits, which imparted a shiny appearance to the surface of the nail. Histology of nail biopsy specimens showed spongiotic changes in 19 patients, psoriasiform features in three, and features of lichen planus in one patient. The mean follow-up of these patients was 2 years, during which time none developed alopecia areata or mucocutaneous lesions. Idiopathic trachyonychia is therefore a consequence of several inflammatory disorders, which produce a disturbance of nail matrix kinetics. The course of the inflammation and the extent of the inflammatory process within the nail matrix produce two different patterns of nail plate surface abnormalities.
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