Episode 101: Psoriasis | Skin, Immunity, And The Marks We Carry

Skin has always told stories. For thousands of years, those whose skin behaved differently — scaling, thickening, inflaming — were feared, isolated, and misunderstood. Psoriasis was long lumped together with leprosy, its sufferers cast out rather than cared for. It would take centuries before medicine began to separate these conditions, and longer still before we understood what was really happening beneath the surface. Psoriasis is not an infection, not a curse, not a failure of hygiene. It is the immune system turning on itself, a complex, chronic inflammatory disease that affects not just skin but joints, confidence, and quality of life. It touches roughly 2-3% of the population, and for many it is a lifelong companion. Today we have a clinical dermatologist and a dermatopathologist to help us understand what psoriasis looks like to the clinician, what it reveals under the microscope, and how our understanding of its immunological roots has transformed the way we treat it. This is the story of psoriasis. Our Special Guests: Associate Professor Laura Scardamaglia, a Consultant Dermatologist, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatology, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. Dr Grace Liu is an Anatomical Pathologist with Histopath in Sydney, Australia. Listen: This Medical Life podcast is available on all podcasting services and Spotify. Help support us on our donation page. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.