The Relative Frequency of Small Vessel Cerebrovascular Disease and Brain Atrophy in MRI of Patients With Psoriasis

This case-control study compared the prevalence of small vessel cerebrovascular disease (SVCD) and atrophic brain changes in 27 patients with psoriasis and 27 normal individuals using brain MRI. The study found no significant difference in the frequency of the Fazekas scale, global cortical atrophy (GCA), and medial temporal atrophy (MTA) scores between the two groups. However, a mild trend was observed for a higher frequency of these scores in controls compared to the case group. Importantly, while there was no significant relationship between the Fazekas scale and disease duration, a significant positive correlation was found between disease duration and GCA and MTA scores. This suggests that an increase in disease duration is significantly associated with an increase in the incidence of cerebral atrophy, indicating a potential need for screening for central nervous system involvement in psoriasis patients.