A Comprehensive Assessment Tool for Psoriasis — An Unmet Need: Report from the GRAPPA 2014 Annual Meeting

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that has several distinct clinical subtypes, the most common of which is plaque psoriasis. Other non-plaque subtypes, however, including scalp, nail, inverse, and palmoplantar, have been demonstrated to be more common than previously believed, are associated with a significant burden of disease, and are likely underdiagnosed and undertreated. Understanding the effects of these non-plaque psoriasis subtypes can be challenging given that the gold standard psoriasis tool, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, is mostly directed at plaque psoriasis. Therefore, a tool that can more comprehensively assess the psoriasis patient represents an unmet need in dermatology. Herein we discuss the concept of an ideal tool that addresses both plaque and non-plaque subtypes, with equal contribution from physician and patient, as discussed at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA).