title: Clinical characteristics of patients with facial psoriasis in Malaysia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis involving the face is visible and can cause considerable emotional distress to patients. Its presence may also confer a poorer prognosis for the patient. This study sought to evaluate the characteristics of facial psoriasis in Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study conducted using data from the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry from 2007 to 2011. Specific risk factors, i.e., age, age of onset, gender, duration of disease, obesity group, body surface area, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), family history of psoriasis, nail involvement, psoriatic arthritis, phototherapy, systemic therapy, clinic visit, days of work/school, and hospital admission due to psoriasis in the last 6 months were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 48.4% of patients had facial psoriasis. Variables significantly associated with facial psoriasis are younger age, younger age of onset of psoriasis of ≤ 40 years, male, severity of psoriasis involving >10% of the body surface area, higher DLQI of >10, nail involvement, and history of hospitalization due to psoriasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that facial psoriasis is not as rare as previously thought. Ambient ultraviolet light, sebum, and contact with chemicals from facial products may reduce the severity of facial psoriasis, but these factors do not reduce the prevalence of facial psoriasis. The association with younger age, younger age of onset, higher percentage of body surface area involvement, higher DLQI of > 10, nail involvement, and hospitalization due to psoriasis support the notion that facial psoriasis is a marker of severe disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. srsyed@doctors.net.uk.
authors.forename: Sharifah Rosniza
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Syed Nong Chek
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Suganthy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Azura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohd Affandi
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, National Clinical Research Centre, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nurakmal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baharum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001830:Body Surface Area; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009260:Nail Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors