Transcript
Announcer:
You’re listening to DermConsult on ReachMD. On this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Andrew Dorizas, who's a double board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon affiliated with the University of Miami Health System and Advanced Dermatology of Alaska. He’ll be discussing the distinction between generalized pustular psoriasis and plaque psoriasis. Here’s Dr. Dorizas now.
Dr. Dorizas:
Immunologically, there are two distinct entities: generalized pustular psoriasis and plaque psoriasis. However, it's more of a spectrum than pillars. And so there are some cases where a patient's immune state can transform from one to the other.
And so in those periods of disease remission, even patients with GPP look like they have plaque psoriasis. They might not be as prominent in terms of how thick the plaques are, and they're a little bit less integrated. But even a plaque psoriasis patient with the right mix of triggers—whether that be, for example, female pregnancy, steroid withdrawal, or if they have an asthma attack and are given a bunch of steroids and there's not a very fast taper—can actually have a GPP-like flare in the background setting of plaque psoriasis.
And when you look at the historic treatment options, there is overlap. But the most effective treatments that we have to date are the targeted therapies for each. And if you have GPP—the pure GPP, let's call it—or the more skewed spectrum toward GPP, spesolimab is the more appropriate treatment because it is made for that particular reason. When you look at the other option with psoriasis, it's better to be on the plaque psoriasis treatment and then worry about the GPP if that were ever to happen.
Announcer:
You just heard Dr. Andrew Dorizas’ insights on differentiating generalized pustular psoriasis and plaque psoriasis. To access this and other episodes in our series, visit DermConsult on ReachMD.com, where you can Be Part of the Knowledge. Thanks for listening!
