Kim Kardashian Diagnosed With Psoriasis!

Kim Kardashian took a break from photo shoots and celebrity engagements to visit her dermatologist on Sunday night's episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." After finding red, flaky patches of skin on her legs, Dr. Harold Lancer diagnosed the reality star with psoriasis, an autoimmune disorder that causes rapid skin cell growth that can manifest itself as thick silvery scales and itchy dry red patches on the skin.

"People don't understand the pressure on me to look perfect," Karashian said on the show. "When I gain a pound, it's in the headlines. Imagine what the tabloids would do to me if they saw all these spots?"

Lancer suggested that she "lead an easier, slower paced life."

"That's just not possible," she replied.

Catie Coman, director of communications for the National Psoriasis Foundation, empathized with the reality star.

"The population can often be very cruel because they think the disease is contagious or has to do with being dirty," said Coman, who noted that LeAnn Rimes also battled the condition. "Celebrities with psoriasis are under intense pressure, and stress is a trigger for psoriasis."

Most types of psoriasis go through cycles in which the condition flares up for a few weeks or months, then subsides for a period of time.