Final clinical diagnosis in cases of histopathologic psoriasiform dermatitis: retrospective cross-sectional analysis of a Southeastern United States population, 2004–2017

Abstract

Background

Psoriasiform dermatitis can be defined both clinically and histologically, but is not a traditionally recognized clinical or histologic diagnosis.

Objective

Analyze the final clinical diagnosis, demographics and clinical characteristics in patients with histologic psoriasiform dermatitis.

Methods

Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients with histologic psoriasiform dermatitis 2004–2017.

Results

Patients (N = 586) were most often female (53.4%) and race/ethnicity included White (61.3%), Black (29.5%), Asian (4.8%), Hispanic (0.7%); mean (SD) age was 52.0 (17.9) years. Median time from histologic psoriasiform dermatitis to final clinical diagnosis was 0.5 months and median duration of follow-up was 6.0 years. The most frequently involved body sites were legs (37.2%), trunk (35.8%) and arms (25.3%). Final clinical diagnoses most associated with histologic psoriasiform dermatitis were psoriasis (N = 191, 32.6%), dermatitis (N = 173, 29.5%), “no clinical diagnosis” (N = 59, 10.1%) and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) or parapsoriasis (N = 48, 8.2%).

Limitations

Retrospective study at one academic center.

Conclusion

The most frequent clinical diagnoses associated with histologic psoriasiform dermatitis were psoriasis in about one third of patients, dermatitis in just under one third of patients, “no clinical diagnosis” in approximately 10% and CTCL/parapsoriasis in just under 10%.