OBJECTIVES: Although it is now widely accepted that itching occurs in cases of psoriasis, skin pain is often neglected despite being readily reported by patients. Accordingly, we wished to measure the frequency and consequences of skin pain.

METHODS: A sample of 5,000 individuals representative of the French population aged from 15 to 80 years was chosen using the usual method of quotas (gender, age, geographical location, and socio-professional category) and asked to respond to an internet-based questionnaire regarding these items.One subgroup of subjects suffering from psoriasis was identified, as well as another subgroup without any form of dermatosis (control group).The quality of life was measured with the DLQI in the subjects with psoriasis, and with the SF12 in both subgroups.

RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS: Skin pain is clearly overlooked in cases of psoriasis, even though it is present in one-third of patients and aggravates the effect of the condition on patients' quality of life.