The aim of the study was to analyze the level of stigmatization among patients with plaque psoriasis according to their demographic and clinical characteristics. The study included 122 patients who completed the 6-item and 33-item Feelings of Stigmatization Questionnaire and a sociodemographic survey. The analysis of the 6-item Stigmatization Scale showed a mean stigmatization score of 6.4 points. (Me = 6; s = 3.7); the mean score for the 33-item scale was 81.3 points (Me = 79.5; s = 19.9). Female patients felt stigmatized more often than males. Respondents living in the countryside had a stronger sense of stigmatization in the Sensitivity to Others’ Attitudes (p = 0.0238) and Secretiveness (p = 0.0234) domains. The presence of psoriatic lesions across the entire body was the only explanatory variable significantly determining the level of stigmatization in the Positive Attitudes domain, either through the main effect or through the interaction with the patient sex. A highly significant difference was found for the feeling of being flawed domain (p = 0.044), with a mean score of 13.4 points. The issue of stigmatization in psoriasis deserves more attention, as the analysis of this problem may provide a better insight into the effect of the disease on the patient’s condition, not merely in the context of its clinical manifestation.

Background: In the contemporary world, a cult of perfection is being created, and deviations from such an ideal image are becoming socially unacceptable. A particular situation arises when a defect or symptoms of a disease appear on the skin, which, in the case of people suffering from psoriasis, are a source of stress, dissatisfaction with the disease, and a reduction in quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess whether the quality of life related to the occurrence of psoriasis and the level of acceptance of the disease affect coping strategies in stressful situations. Methods: The study involved 111 people with common psoriasis (46.8% women and 53.2% men). Inclusion criteria were as follows: a diagnosis of common psoriasis for at least 0.5 years, no other types of psoriasis, no mental illnesses, and an informed consent of the respondent to participate in the study. In order to compile the research input, a proprietary questionnaire was used along with the following standardised tools: the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Results: The duration of the disease in the studied population varied and ranged from 0.5 years to over 50 years. Most respondents showed relatively low DLQI scores, with an average value of 10.8 points. In stressful situations (CISS), the respondents primarily used a strategy based on rational thinking (Task-oriented coping), with approximately 54 points on average; followed by an avoidant style (Avoidance-oriented coping), with approximately 50 points on average; and least often an emotional style (Emotion-oriented coping), with approximately 46 points on average. The average level of disease acceptance (AIS) in the studied group equalled approximately 26 points. Conclusions: Psoriatic lesions on the torso caused less rational behaviour in stressful situations (a decrease in the Task-oriented coping) in women but had the opposite result in men, whereas psoriatic lesions on the head stimulated the use of Task-oriented coping in women but had the opposite result in men. The higher the acceptance of the disease (AIS) presented by the respondents, the less often they used an emotional strategy (Emotion-oriented coping) in stressful situations. The higher the quality of life (DLQI) was, the lower the values of Emotion-oriented coping were noted.

СИНДРОМ КРИСТА-СИМЕНСА-ТУРЕНА В СОЧЕТАНИИ С АТОПИЧЕСКИМ ДЕРМАТИТОМ: КЛИНИЧЕСКИЙ СЛУЧАЙ В ПРАКТИКЕ ДЕРМАТОЛОГА

Изложены основные этапы профессионального пути выдающегося ученого и педагога, известного врача-инфекциониста, гепатолога и многолетнего руководителя кафедры инфекционных болезней Гродненского государственного медицинского университета, заслуженного деятеля науки Республики Беларусь, доктора медицинских наук, профессора Владимира Максимовича Цыркунова.

Background. Pruritus is one of the most common symptoms accompanying psoriasis. Patients with pruritus report decreased quality of life, depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphic concerns, as well as reduced effectiveness of treatment. Objective. To study the intensity of skin pruritus and the level of neuropeptides in the blood serum in patients with psoriasis associated with mental disorders. Material and methods. The main methods of examination of 110 patients with psoriasis were clinical and anamnestic method as well as clinical laboratory and clinical psychopathological ones. Results. In patients with a combined variant of psoriasis and mental disorders, a significantly higher incidence of skin pruritus (p <0.001), pain (p <0.01), elevated serum levels of substance P (p˂0.001) was established; significantly more often scratching increased pruritus (p<0.05), pruritus led to depression (p<0.01), pruritus was prolonged (p<0.05) with a significant decrease in quality of life (p<0.05), mood swings were characterized as “severe"(p<0.05) and "unbearable" (p<0.001). Conclusion. Pruritus is one of the most common and bothersome symptoms of psoriasis and is often associated with psychosomatic and psychiatric comorbidities, as well as elevated blood serum levels of certain neuropeptides. This fact may indicate the role of the latter in the pathogenesis of this combined pathology. Considering the possibility of therapeutic potential on the neuropeptides production level, the obtained data on their role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and its comorbid pathology will allow us to develop a personalized approach to therapy, taking into account the severity of the disease and concomitant pathology.