Rare but Serious Its painful and itchy. It can be deadly and it needs medical care right away. Another type, called pustular psoriasis, has a version that also can be an emergency. It starts with widespread areas of reddened skin that fills up with pus within hours.

Can psoriasis be life-threatening?

Erythrodermic [eh-REETH-ro-der-mik] psoriasis often affects nearly the entire body and can be life-threatening. Erythrodermic psoriasis disrupts your bodys normal temperature and fluid balance.

Why does psoriasis suddenly appear?

Many peoples psoriasis symptoms start or get worse because of a certain event, called a trigger. Knowing your triggers may help you avoid a flare-up. Common psoriasis triggers include: an injury to your skin, such as a cut, scrape, insect bite or sunburn – this is called the Koebner response.