Psoriasis-associated cutaneous pain: etiology, assessment, impact, and management

Abstract

Cutaneous pain, a very broad, subjective, and complex symptom, is prevalent in patients with psoriasis. It is prompted by neurogenic inflammation and augmented by physical and psychosocial stress. Many psoriasis patients are troubled by aching, burning, stinging, tenderness, cramping, and tingling in their skin. However, there lacks a thorough and verified metric that allows patients to adequately report their unique skin pain experiences. Limited literature exists that aims to understand cutaneous pain in psoriasis patients; most studies focus on joint pain and generalized pain, and many do not specify the location of pain. This review explores and analyzes current literature on the etiology, assessment, burden, and management of skin pain in psoriasis patients. It emphasizes the significance of appropriately quantifying the skin pain experience in psoriasis and developing therapeutics that target the underlying processes that contribute to noxious skin sensations.

Keywords:

• Psoriasis
• skin pain
• cutaneous pain
• neurogenic inflammation
• quality of life

Disclosure statement

Dr. Wu is an investigator for AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and Regeneron. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.