Guttate psoriasis or Eruptive Psoriasis

Also known as “Eruptive psoriasis”, Guttate psoriasis is a more unusual form of this disease as the cause generally comes from a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract, instead of the more common forms of psoriasis that are genetic or inherited in nature. Guttate psoriasis manifests itself across the back, arms, legs, and torso of the body as small, reddish lesions that erupt quickly and spread rapidly across the body. Usually, guttate psoriasis strikes young adults more than any other group, though it can occur in children and older adults as well.

How guttate psoriasis begins is usually by catching strep throat or a variation of a throat infection. After the infection clears up, the person usually feels fine and has no symptoms or warning signs of guttate psoriasis for several weeks. Then, the disease starts by appearing as a small, reddish spot on the skin, usually on the torso or back that is slightly itchy or irritating. When the top layer of the skin either falls off or is picked away, the dry, red skin below festers and becomes more irritating. Within a few days, more red spots appear and grow in the same manner until wide areas of skin are covered.

Although most spots of guttate psoriasis are less than an inch in diameter, some of the larger ones can form a pale area in the center that is slightly yellow in color. While the outbreak usually clears up by itself within a three month time span, the annoying itch and irritation can be quite unsettling. Especially for young adults who may become embarrassed by having such marks on their skin.

The general treatment for guttate psoriasis is mild hydrocortisones, which does not treat the cause, only the main symptom which is the outbreak itself. The hydrocortisone literally dries up the affected reddish areas, making them less likely to irritate or itch. But this type of treatment does not work for all those who suffer from guttate psoriasis. Another effective treatment is exposure to sunlight, though the person who has guttate psoriasis should be careful to avoid sunburn, as this will make the condition even more irritating. Exposure to sunlight seems to have the same “drying out” effect that hydrocortisones do.

Although it does seem counter intuitive, if too much skin comes off the affected reddish areas that leads to bleeding, then the use of moisturizers are recommended. This will keep the skin from falling off too fast and keep the overall skin healthier.

There is currently no known way to complete prevent guttate psoriasis from occurring as little is understood about this disease. It does appear to be a result of a particular strain of infection and some doctors’ advocate treating the strep throat symptoms with antibiotics as early as possible to minimize the risk of the condition from occurring later on. Since many forms of psoriasis may be a genetic condition, those who have had close family members with psoriasis may want to treat any respiratory infection early on.