Psoriasis Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which statement about psoriasis spreading between people is accurate?
It usually spreads through direct contact with an active plaque.
It can spread through the air during a severe flare.
It is commonly transmitted by sharing towels or bedding.
It is not contagious and cannot be caught from another person.
2. Which statement best explains why psoriasis develops?
It is caused solely by a fungus living on the skin.
It is always an allergic reaction to a particular food.
It results mainly from inadequate washing or poor hygiene.
It reflects a combination of immune, genetic, and environmental factors rather than one simple external cause.
3. Which treatment is commonly used for mild, localized plaque psoriasis under appropriate medical guidance?
A topical corticosteroid selected and used as directed
Antibiotics prescribed for every flare
An oral antihistamine as the only treatment for the plaques
An antifungal shampoo applied to every affected body area
4. Which description is most characteristic of classic plaque psoriasis?
Temporary raised welts that disappear within hours
Well-defined, raised patches with a dry silvery scale
Ring-shaped patches with clearer skin in the center
Greasy yellow flakes concentrated in oily areas
5. How do biologic medicines used for moderate-to-severe psoriasis generally work?
They permanently remove the outermost layer of skin.
They target specific parts of the immune response involved in inflammation.
They act only as moisturizers that trap water in plaques.
They eliminate a contagious organism responsible for psoriasis.
6. Which statement about diagnosing psoriasis is most accurate?
One standard blood test confirms every case.
Scratching a plaque at home can provide a definitive result.
A clinician usually assesses the skin, nails, and history, with a biopsy needed only occasionally.
Improvement with an over-the-counter antifungal confirms the diagnosis.
7. Which event is a recognized trigger for psoriasis onset or flares in some people?
Routine exposure to seasonal pollen
A temporary increase in dietary calcium
An infection such as streptococcal throat infection
Eating lactose, regardless of individual tolerance
8. Someone has sharply defined, scaly scalp patches that extend slightly beyond the hairline. Which feature makes psoriasis more consistent than ordinary dandruff?
An oily scalp at the end of the day
The presence of scalp itching by itself
Flakes appearing after a change in shampoo
The well-defined plaques extending beyond the hairline
9. Where do classic plaque psoriasis lesions commonly appear?
Only between the toes and nowhere else
Exclusively inside the mouth and nostrils
On extensor elbows and knees, as well as the scalp
Only on skin that remains covered by clothing
10. After repeatedly scratching one area, a person with psoriasis develops new plaques along the injured skin. What does this illustrate?
A bacterial infection spreading beneath the skin
Contact transmission of psoriasis from the fingernails
The Koebner phenomenon, in which lesions can develop at sites of skin injury
A medication rebound caused by moisturizers
11. A person with recurring scaly plaques notices small pits and separation in several nails. What is the best interpretation?
Nail changes always prove that a fungal infection is present.
These changes occur only because of a vitamin deficiency.
Nail findings are unrelated to inflammatory skin conditions.
Psoriasis can affect nails, though a clinician may need to exclude other causes.
12. A few weeks after a streptococcal throat infection, numerous small, drop-like scaly spots appear across a young person’s torso. Which pattern does this describe?
Guttate psoriasis
Inverse psoriasis confined to skin folds
Nail psoriasis without skin involvement
A single chronic plaque limited to one elbow
13. Which additional symptom in someone with psoriasis most warrants assessment for possible psoriatic arthritis?
Persistent swollen joints with pain and morning stiffness
Brief flushing during warm weather
Mild scalp oiliness without discomfort
Occasional skin dryness after a hot shower
14. What underlying process plays a central role in psoriasis?
A short-lived histamine response to one specific allergen
Immune-system activity that accelerates skin-cell production
Bacteria growing in blocked sweat glands
A permanent inability of the skin to produce natural oils
15. A person rapidly develops widespread red skin with many pus-filled bumps, fever, and marked weakness. What is the most appropriate response?
Seek prompt medical care because this can be a serious presentation.
Treat it as ordinary dandruff unless it begins to itch.
Wait several weeks to see whether moisturizing clears it.
Use a tanning bed before arranging a medical assessment.
16. A person has smooth, bright-red irritated patches in the armpits and groin with little visible scale. Which psoriasis subtype best fits that pattern?
Guttate psoriasis
Inverse psoriasis
Nail psoriasis
Scalp plaque psoriasis