Are you diagnosed with skin conditions such as plaque psoriasis? Did you ever notice new lesions appearing on your skin other than your usual affected areas? Have you recently hurt yourself?

If you’re seeing plaques or lesions forming on past injured areas, you’re most likely experiencing the Koebner Phenomenon. It is a discovery made by a German dermatologist, Heinrich Koebner after he noticed psoriatic lesions on traumatized spots.

Other than psoriasis, here are some of the skin disorders that displays the Koebner Phenomenon:

Vitiligo

Patients with vitiligo lose the pigmentation of their skin and become pale. This condition happens due to the failure to produce melanin.  It is more evident in people with darker skin and can affect hair and inside the mouth as well.

Besides the loss of color on the skin, vitiligo is not life-threatening and is not contagious, but it can affect a person’s self-esteem and cause stress.

Lichen sclerosus (LS)

This skin disease commonly appears as whitish patches on genitals, although it may occur in other areas too. The cause of lichen sclerosus is unknown, and patients with LS often experience pain and itchiness in the affected regions.

There is no cure for LS, but the skin condition is improvable with treatment. However, it often gets progressively worse.

Kaposi’s sarcoma

For ordinary people, the virus human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) usually causes no effect as our immune system keeps it under control. However, HHV-8 may trigger Kaposi’s sarcoma in people with a weaker immune system.

Kaposi’s sarcoma is a type of cancer that forms masses in the lining of blood and lymph vessels. The tumors or lesions typically appear as purple spots on the skin but may appear anywhere else including the insides of internal organs.

Necrobiosis lipoidica

Diabetic patients or people with a family history of diabetes may suffer from necrobiosis lipoidica, a skin disorder that causes yellowish brown patches to develop on the shins. It is more common in women than in men.

The patches are usually painless, but patients are at risk of bacterial infection. Unfortunately, there’s no known cure for necrobiosis lipoidica.

Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP)

Also known as the Devergie’s disease, pityriasis rubra pilaris is a rare skin disease that causes constant inflammation and shedding of the skin. Symptoms of PRP include flaky skin and red patches, and swelling of body parts.

You can inherit PRP from one or both of your parents if they pass down the gene that causes the disorder. However, inheriting the gene doesn’t necessarily means you will develop PRP.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

The term ‘idiopathic’ carries the meaning ‘of unknown origin’ which describes this autoinflammatory disease. JIA is the most common form of arthritis that occurs in children.

There are six JIA subtypes, but all of them generally causes inflammation in joints. Neglection of children with JIA results in serious consequences such as joint deformities. In severe cases, children may even lose hand functions permanently.

Conclusion

If you have any of these disorders and exhibit the symptoms of the Koebner Phenomenon, do not hesitate to consult with your doctor for possible treatments.

Learn more about the Koebner Phenomenon by visiting http://mypsoriasis.my/koebner-phenomenon.