Northern Phototherapy Mgmt Facility

Psoriasis 

 Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious.

There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called scale. Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body and is associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.

According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis.

For More Information Contact: National Psoriasis Foundation

Eczema

Eczema is a general term for any type of dermatitis or “itchy rash”. There are several skin diseases that are eczemas.  All types of eczemas cause itching and redness and some will blister, weep or peel.

Atopic Dermatitis (AD)
Atopic dermatitis is the most severe and chronic (long-lasting) kind of eczema. Atopic dermatitis is a disease that causes itchy, inflamed skin. It almost always begins in childhood, usually during infancy. Physicians estimate that 65 percent of eczema patients are diagnosed in the first year of life and 90 percent of patients experience it before age five. Often the symptoms fade during childhood, though “most” will have AD for life. It is estimated that atopic dermatitis affects over 30 million Americans. It typically affects the insides of the elbows, backs of the knees, and the face but can cover most of the body. Atopic dermatitis falls into a category of diseases called atopy, a term originally used to describe the allergic conditions asthma and hay fever. Atopic dermatitis was included in the atopy category because it often affects people who either suffer from asthma and/or hay fever or have family members who do; but now have been genetically connected. Physicians often refer to these three diseases as the “atopy triad”. The disease by its very nature can be episodic. People with atopic dermatitis tend to have high staph levels on their skin, although atopic dermatitis is not infectious to other people.

For More Information Contact: National Eczema Association

vitiligo

Patients with vitiligo develop white spots on the skin that vary in size and location. The spots occur when pigment cells, or melanocytes, are destroyed and the pigment melanin can no longer be produced. Melanocytes normally occur throughout the skin, as well as in the hair follicles, mouth, and eyes. In vitiligo, pigment cells can be lost in any of these areas. Common sites of pigment loss are:

• Exposed areas: hands, face, upper part of the chest
  
• Around body openings: eyes, nostrils, mouth, nipples, belly button, genitalia
  
• Body folds: arm pits, groin
  
• Sites of injury: cuts, scrapes, burns
  
• Hair: early graying of hair of the scalp, beard or other areas
  
• Area immediately surrounding pigmented moles
  
• Back of the eye
  

For More Information Contact: National Vitiligo Foundation

CTcl 

CTCL is the acronym for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.  It is a generalized term for a variety of different skin cancers including mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome, lymphomatoid papulosis, cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, lymphomatoid granulomatosis, granulomatous slack skin disease, and pagetoid reticulosis to name a few.  Because CTCL occurs in so many different forms, it is difficult to diagnose quickly and correctly, and is equally difficult to treat. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is an old term for the most common type of CTCL.  It is a low-grade lymphoma that primarily affects the skin.  Generally it has a slow course and often remains confined to the skin.  Over time, in about 10% of the cases, it can progress to the lymph nodes and internal organs.  Long-term remission is often achieved through proper treatment which may include UVB phototherapy, chemotherapy, radiation dosing and medications either alone or in combinations.

For More Information Contact: Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation

pruritis 

Pruritis is a medical term for an intense itching sensation that produces the urge to rub or scratch the skin to obtain relief and can be a significant source of frustration and discomfort.  Pruritis is commonly associated with underlying systemic illnesses.  It can occur in people who have cancer or in those who have received cancer treatment.  Hormond imbalances such as those that occur in diabetes is also a factor causing the disease.

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