THE ROLE OF EPIDERMAL PROLIFERATION IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF PSORIASIS

The micromorphological appearance of the psoriatic lesion is character ized by cutaneous inflammation, epidermal acanthosis and abnormal kera tinization. The relevance of immunological factors has been reviewed i n recent literature. Despite a longstanding interest of many centres i n the pathogenesis of psoriasis, the position of epidermal proliferati on, a key feature of the psoriatic plaque, remains to be established. The aim of the present review was to provide evidence from the literat ure and from our own work that enables us to answer the question to wh at extent epidermal proliferation might be a primary pathogenetic even t or whether it represents a secondary phenomenon resulting from other abnormalities.