Type

Description

Plaque

(Vulgaris)

The most common form; appears as raised red patches covered with silvery white build-up of dead skin cells, most often on the scalp, knees, elbows and lower back; often itchy and painful, and can crack and bleed.

Guttate

2^nd most common form (~10%); appears as small, dot-like lesions; often starts in childhood or young adulthood, and can be triggered by a strep infection.

Inverse

Appears as very red lesions in body folds (e.g., behind the knee, under the arm or in the groin); may appear smooth and shiny. Many people have another type of psoriasis elsewhere on the body at the same time.

Pustular

Characterized by white pustules (blisters of noninfectious pus) surrounded by red skin; can occur on any part of the body, but most often on the hands or feet.

Erythrodermic

A particularly severe form that leads to widespread, fiery redness over most of the body; can cause severe itching and pain, and make the skin shed in sheets. It is rare (3% of people who have psoriasis during their life time), and generally appears on people who have unstable plaque psoriasis, can be life-threatening.