Psoriasis has long been known to humans and it is also one of the most misunderstood illnesses in history. Till the 19th century psoriasis was confused with leprosy.
In the Bible, ‘lepra’ has been used at different places to describe various skin diseases including leprosy, psoriasis, vitiligo, eczema and boils. Some authors have pointed out the ‘tzaraat’ mentioned in the Bible may refer to psoriasis.
Hippocrates (460 - 377 BC) described a skin condition resembling psoriasis, but this was clubbed together with diseases like leprosy, eczema and tubercular lupus.
Aristophanes of Byzantium has been credited by some to have used the term psoriasis for the first time at the end of third century B.C. But his description does not conform to the typical psoriasis clinical picture.
Many historians feel that it was the Roman physician Galen who coined the term “psoriasis vulgaris” for the first time.
The Greek word ‘psora’ means to itch. In fact ‘psoriasis’ was used for many skin diseases where itching was a prominent feature, especially so before the era of Hebra, the Viennese dermatologist.
In the first century, Celsus described a skin condition similar to psoriasis and classified it as a fourth variant of impetigo.
Joseph Jacob Plenck (Vienna, 1776) wrote of a condition similar to psoriasis as being amongst the group of scaly diseases. He also did not study in-depth to differentiate the condition from other skin diseases.
Robert Willan, the English dermatologist, (1757 - 1812) recognized the disease as an independent entity and for almost a century, psoriasis was known as Willan’s lepra. He identified two categories. Leprosa Graecorum was the term he used to describe the condition when the skin had scales. Psora Leprosa described the condition when it became eruptive.
In 1841, Ferdinand Hebra, the Viennese dermatologist, taking help from Willan’s notes, assigned the name Psoriasis to the disease. He described the clinical picture of psoriasis as we recognize it today. By that time the genetic nature of the disease was already well known.
In the 19th century many Russian dermatologists also contributed to the development of psoriasis as a disease with a connection to the pathology of internal organs, metabolism and the condition of the nervous system. Other physicians like Gebr, H.Koebner also pointed out the connection o psoriasis with the nervous system and the diseases of interior organs.
Psoriasis was further differentiated into specific types, psoriasis basic facts uncovered and effective remedies discovered during the late 19th and 20th Centuries.
Psoriasis Treatment Through the Ages
- More than 100 years: Dithranol, salicylic acid, sunlight, crude coal tar, dead sea salts, emollients.
- 1920s: Ultraviolet light, Goeckerman regimen, using coal tar with gradually increasing exposure to ultraviolet light
- 1950s: Topical and systemic steroids
- 1960s: Hydroxyurea
- 1970s: Psoralens plus UVA
- 1980s: Methotrexate and other antimetabolites
- 1990s: Topical Vitamin D3, retinoids, cyclosporine
- 2000s: Biological therapies, laser treatment.
Next : How Common is Psoriasis?
Reference
Psoriasis History
Hanish Babu - Dr.Hanish Babu, MD is a dermatologist and a feature writer on Suite101.com with more than 200 articles related to skin diseases on the ...
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