Frequency of melanocytic nevi in psoriatic patients is related to treatment and not to disease severity

Abstract

Background: Few data exist on the relationship between psoriasis and melanocytic lesions.

Objectives: We sought to investigate number of melanocytic nevi in psoriatic patients compared with control subjects and its relationship with disease severity and treatment.

Methods: We performed a prospective study in 189 psoriatic patients and 189 control subjects. Sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded for all participants.

Results: As compared with control subjects, patients had fewer nevi overall [χ(2)(5) = 52.24, P < .001], fewer nevi less than 5 mm [χ(2)(4) = 60.28, P < .001], and fewer congenital nevi [χ(2)(1) = 10.41, P = .002]; no differences in atypical nevi and family history of cancer, including melanoma, were observed. Among psoriatic patients, number of biologics used was a risk factor for a higher nevus count [odds ratio 1.35 (95% CI 1.04-1.76), P = .02] whereas disease severity did not correlate with number of nevi.

Limitations: Low number of psoriatic patients naïve to systemic therapies was a limitation.

Conclusions: Psoriatic patients have fewer nevi than control subjects. Frequency of nevi in psoriatic patients is related to treatment, not to disease severity.

Keywords: IL; OR; TNF; biologic agents; interleukin; melanocytic nevi; melanoma; nevus count; odds ratio; psoriasis; treatment; tumor necrosis factor.