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psoriasis woman itching

A new study in Ophthalmology Advisor has revealed that patients who have been diagnosed with psoriasis should have routine eye exams due to corneal structural and functional changes.  This study also showed that these changes are important because they should be considered prior to undergoing any eye surgery. The recent prospective, comparative, cross-sectional study, published in Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy – showed that evaluating the structural and functional changes of the cornea, particularly endothelial alterations, in patients with psoriasis is a MUST when planning any intraocular surgeries.

The study took place in Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey and patients who had been diagnosed with psoriasis (either plaque psoriasis or what is deemed mild disease severity) went through complete ophthalmologic eye exams and their eye features were compared with a ‘healthy’ (non psoriasis diagnosis) control group.

It resulted in the psoriasis group showing significantly different Schirmer scores and tear break up times than the control group and observed differences in corneal endothelial cell characteristics. The psoriasis cohort showed significantly increased standard deviation of cell area, average cell area, and coefficient of variation of the cell area but had a decreased endothelial cell density compared with patients in the control group.

The investigators of the study summarized that both corneal structural and functional changes, particularly endothelial alterations, are of utmost importance in planning intraocular surgeries such as glaucoma or cataract surgery in patients with psoriasis. So it turns out, psoriasis not only can cause you discomfort, itching and other health conditions, but if you do deal with it day in and day out, regular eye exams are recommended!

If you or a loved one have psoriasis, and are experiencing any vision issues or are debating ocular surgery, please call our office at 713-626-5544 or write us at info@visiontexas.com to see one of our highly specialized surgeons that can guide you on the best course of action for your vision.