Appearance of Pustular Psoriasis
The rash starts with redness on flexor surfaces such as the armpits or the bend of the elbow. This redness spreads to other parts of the body, then many tiny pustules develop in the red skin. It is common for a person with pustular psoriasis to have a fever with chills and feel ill. The skin can be very painful at the beginning of the rash. After several days, the pustules are replaced by extensive scaling. The rash can cause the body to loose protein and calcium, which in rare cases causes death.Triggers for Pustular Psoriasis
Pustular psoriasis can be triggered by the following:- Pregnancy (which can trigger the rash impetigo herpetiformis)
- Stopping corticosteroids like prednisone
- Low calcium levels
- Infections
Localized Pustular Psoriasis
This is a type of pustular psoriasis that does not develop over the majority of the body. Instead, the pustules develop in small areas inside or just outside an existing psoriatic plaque. This can occur with the application of irritants like coal tar.Sources:
Habif, Thomas. "Psoriasis." Clinical Dermatology, 4th Edition. Ed. Thomas Habif, MD. New York: Mosby, 2004. 209-39.
Iizuka, Hajime, et al. "Pathophysiology of generalized pustular psoriasis." Archives of Dermatologic Research 295(2003): s55-9.
Schon, Michael, and W.-Henning Boehncke. "Psoriasis." The New England Journal of Medicine 352(2005): 1899-912.
van de Kerkhof, Peter. "Psoriasis." Dermatology. Ed. Jean Bolognia. New York: Mosby, 2003: 531-5. 125-37.
