The key facts

  • More than 360,000 psoriasis patients are registered in Russia, with a prevalence of 243.7 per 100,000 population in 2025
  • Approximately 20% of patients develop psoriatic arthritis
  • According to the doctor's estimate, the real number of patients is significantly higher than official statistics

Official statistics and complications

Konstantin Raznatovsky, Head of the Department of Dermatovenereology at the Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, chief dermatovenereologist of St. Petersburg, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor told Gazeta.Ru, that in Russia in 2025 the prevalence rate of psoriasis was 243.7 per 100,000 population. According to official data, more than 360,000 people in the country suffer from this disease, and approximately 20% of patients develop psoriatic arthritis.

Mechanism of the disease

According to the specialist, psoriasis is a systemic immune-associated disease of multifactorial nature, in the development of which genetic factors dominate. In this condition, the immune system begins to attack the body's own tissues: pro-inflammatory cytokines trigger and sustain chronic inflammation that affects not only the skin but also the joints and the sites where tendons attach. The doctor also noted accelerated proliferation of epidermal cells, impaired differentiation, immune reactions in the dermis and synovial membranes, and frequent pathological changes in the musculoskeletal system.

Why the statistics may understate the scale

Raznatovsky drew attention to differences in the organization of care: in international practice, patients with psoriasis are initially treated by general practitioners, and it is not easy to see a dermatologist. “Only in our country can a patient go straight to a dermatologist and receive proper treatment by visiting a dermatovenerological dispensary. That is why the statistics suffer, and there are far more patients with psoriasis: according to estimates, this is about 3 million people worldwide,” the publication quotes the doctor. Thus, the doctor supplements the official Russian data on more than 360,000 patients with an estimated figure suggesting that the real number of patients is noticeably higher than the registered one. The publication also notes that earlier a single cause of psoriasis development was named.