The Croatian psoriasis working group as unformed group consisted during 35 years in activity of Psoriasis Patient Association and with Journal “Psoriasis”, with members: head doctor Aida Pašić, MD, PhD professor Jasna Lipozenčić, head doctor Danijel Živković, MD, professor Ivan Dobrić, professor Vladimira Barišić-Druško, Nina Troskot, MD, PhD, Romana Čeović, MD, PhD. The Psoriasis Patient Association has many experience sharing, discussions, and meetings as well as symposiums with Slovenian and Italian patient association. The close collaboration in clinical and therapeutical studies was with colleagues from Health Resort for Psoriasis and Respiratory Diseases, Veli Lošinj, Croatia (Danijel Živković, MD, Branko Vukelić, MD). Yet, more than 20 Croatian dermatologists/venereologists in Zagreb, Osijek, Split and Rijeka have been actively engaged in the national and international surveys and management of psoriasis. The Croatian Dermatovenereological Society (CDS) has about 180 members. On National Congresses and Meetings thema on psoriasis was always well represented. The official journal of CDS is “Acta Dermatovenerologica Croatica” indexed on EM/IM Medline, in which CDS members very often published scientific studies, diagnostic and therapeutic achievements on psoriasis. Every year we organize Croatian-Italian meeting on psoriasis. The next one will be November 13, 2008 in Zagreb. Your letter will certainly be an additional incentive for us to establish formal Croatian Psoriasis Group to join the Psoriasis International Network in the course of this month. This psoriasis working group will readily establish a link with the Psoriasis International Network and thus with the EADV Psoriasis Task Force. On the founding meeting of the international psoriasis network in Paris 2005 were present prof. Skerlev (president of the Croatian Dermatovenerological Society) and myself.

Considering the web site, I am thankful for your kind offer to design it and accept it with pleasure indeed.

The study and treatment of psoriasis have a long tradition in Croatia. Academician Kogoj, founder of spongiform pustule of psoriasis was chief of our University Dermatovenerological Department.

Today, along with me as head of the University Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Zagreb University Hospital Centar and School of Medicine, Croatia, Zagreb, Šalata 4, and with my engagement in psoriasis, there are three more coworkers who have been actively dealing with psoriasis as their main field of interest from scientific and professional point of view are: head doctor Aida Pašić (Master of sciences and PhD thesis), professor Ivan Dobrić (PhD thesis), Romana Čeović, MD, PhD (Master of Sciences and PhD thesis), Krešimir Kostović, MD. In our Department they are involved in Referal Center for Photobiology of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Croatia (head: Romana Čeović, MD, PhD). We have also Pediatric dermatology Ward where is the issues of psoriasis in children with great experience in phototherapy in children. We have also a good cooperation with rheumatologists in the treatment of our psoriatic patients with biologicals. In Referal Centar for Psoriasis of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Croatia, at University Hospital Center in Rijeka, Croatia are: professor Marija Kaštelan (chief), and members: assist. professor Larisa Prpić-Massari, Edita Simonić, MD, MSc, and doctor assistant nurses: Katja Rubeša and Dragica Datković. This stuff is specially focused in the field of psychological aspects of psoriasis, group psychotherapy and on biological in psoriasis treatment.

In Department of Dermatology and Venerology School of Medicine in Osijek professor Vladimira Barišić Druško had big experience in epidemiology and genetic of psoriasis according scientific studies. Ivana Ručević, MD, PhD has doctoral thesis on VDR gene and Melita Vukšić, MD is now in preparing MSc thesis out of genetic study in psoriatics. In Clinical Hospital Center Split assistant professor Neira Puizina Ivić, MD, PhD is experienced in dermatohistopathology and epidemiology of psoriasis.

In the last three years, we organized on School of Medicine, University of Zagreb two Continuing Medical Education courses on psoriasis, and in collaboration with our Italian colleagues (professor Giusto Trevisan, and Franco Kokelj, MD) as well as with colleagues from “Naftalan Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation, Ivanić Grad, Croatia (head doctor Pero Vržogić, Gordana Krnjević Pezić, MD, Ankica Smeh-Skrbin, MD), three international symposia on psoriasis . We took active part in all international congresses on psoriasis world-wide.

At present our scientific interest has been focused on metabolic syndrome in Croatian patients with psoriasis.

Note should also be made of our rich publication activities, including a number of MSc and doctoral theses on the topic of psoriasis in the last ten years.

The Psoriasis Patient Association has been active for 33 years now, gathering both psoriasis patients and physicians, issuing a journal entitled Psoriasis and established award “Franjo Kogoj” for meritorious members and their achievements in the field on psoriasis (professor Ivan Dobrić, Damir Paljan, MSc, head doctor Aida Pašić, MD, PhD).