Abstract
Special areas of involvement in psoriasis include the scalp region, the palms and soles, genital areas, as well as intertriginous sites. The involvement of these topographical regions is associated with important physical and emotional implications, resulting in reduced quality of life, social isolation, and work disability. Palms and soles can be affected as part of the generalized form of psoriasis or can be exclusively affected as palmo-plantar psoriasis. Nail involvement may be encountered in 10-55% of patients with psoriasis, while scalp involvement occurs in 45-56% of individuals with psoriasis. Genital involvement may be the only manifestation of cutaneous psoriasis in 2-5% of patients. Inverse or intertriginous psoriasis represents a special variant of psoriasis as it may mimic and be difficult to differentiate from other dermatological entities that involve the intertriginous skin, such as bacterial or fungal infections, eczema, or lichen planus. Treatment of psoriasis in special areas is challenging due to the facts that special areas are more resistant to standard therapies and are more sensitive to potent local treatments. Biological therapies, proven to be more efficient than standard therapies, are not widely available in the absence of extensive skin involvement. This manuscript aims to provide an up-to-date literature review on psoriasis in special areas, benefiting the everyday clinical practice of physicians in optimizing the evaluation and treatment of their patients.