الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Psoriasis is a common chronic immune skin disorder, affecting 2-3% of the population. It is linked with genetic and environmental triggers. It is characterized by hyperproliferation of the epidermal layer, altered differentiation of keratinocytes, angiogenesis, and pronounced leukocyte infiltration. The pathogenesis of psoriasis is incompletely understood. Psoriasis may be associated with cardiovascular disease, depressive illness, and psoriatic arthritis. It ranges in severity from a few scattered red, scaly plaques to involvement of almost the entire body surface. It shows wax and wane in its severity. Scalp psoriasis plaques are similar to those of the skin except that the scale is more readily retained. It may extend beyond the hairline onto the forehead. Involvement of the posterior auricular crease with scaling and fissuring is common in psoriasis. Pruritus and burning may accompany the lesions. Psoriasis causes considerable psychosocial disability and has a major impact on patients’ quality of life. The majority of people with psoriasis have localized disease, where topical therapy forms the cornerstone of treatment. Strategies containing potent corticosteroids (alone or in combination with a vitamin D analogue), phototherapy, coal tar, and retinoids. Several systemic treatments are available to help control psoriasis such as methotrexate, cyclosporine, and oral retinoids, and biological drugs.
Seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition. The exact pathophysiology is not fully understood, but a genetically and environmentally influenced response to malassezia yeast and subsequent inflammation are central features. Seborrhoeic dermatitis has several morphological variant which occur in various combinations and degrees of severity. Seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp causes ill-defined patches with yellowish greasy scales. It may spread to affect the greater part of the scalp and extend beyond the frontal hairline as the ‘corona seborrhoeica’. Sticky crusts and fissures are common in the folds behind the ear. Therapeutic choices include a combination of antimicrobial, keratolytic, antipruritic, and anti inflammatory modes of action.
Dermoscopy, dermatoscopy, epiluminescence microscopy, and skin-surface microscopy are synonyms. It is a noninvasive, in vivo method allowing magnified skin observation. It is primarily used for the examination of pigmented skin lesions. Dermoscopy becomes useful in a wide variety of cutaneous disorders (including ectoparasitic infestations, cutaneous infections, hair and nail abnormalities, psoriasis and other dermatological conditions beyond the traditional indication for pigmented skin lesions). The procedure allows the visualization of subsurface skin structures in the epidermis, dermoepidermal junction, and upper dermis; these structures are usually not visible to the naked eye. The dermoscopic images may be photographed or recorded digitally for storage or sequential analysis. Comparison with pre-treatment images helps to evaluate therapeutic response and satisfy anxious patients. They represent an important and relatively simple aid in daily clinical practice.
The aim of this study was to detect the diagnostic potential of dermoscopy in scalp psoriasis and seborrhoeic dermatitis with correlation to their histopathologial features.
This study included fifteen patients with scalp psoriasis in addition to fifteen patients with scalp seborrheic dermatitis. They were collected from the outpatient clinic of the Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology department, Alexandria Main University Hospital.