Review article

Treatment Options for Pediatric Psoriasis

Dora Madiraca ; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
Mirna Šitum
Ivana Prkačin
Suzana Ožanić Bulić

Abstract

Psoriasis is a multifactorial inflammatory papulosquamous disease affecting 0.5% to 2% of paediatric population. Paediatric psoriasis, presenting similarly to adult psoriasis, significantly reduces patients’ quality of life, often requiring individualized treatment approach for each patient. Combination and rotational therapy are helpful in reducing toxicity and maximizing efficacy. Patients with mild and limited disease respond well to topical treatment with steroids or vitamin D analogues, unlike moderate and severe psoriasis where sufficient remission is rarely achieved. Therefore phototherapy, systemic immunomodulators, or biologic agents are next line of treatment to be considered. There is a limited data available on the use and long-term safety of biologics in the paediatric population. Biologic agents must be administered by experienced dermatologists, only in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, intolerant or refractory to other systemic conventional disease-modifying treatment or phototherapy, or if those agents are contraindicated.

Psoriasis is a multifactorial inflammatory papulosquamous disease affecting 0.5% to 2% of paediatric population. Paediatric psoriasis, presenting similarly to adult psoriasis, significantly reduces patients’ quality of life, often requiring individualized treatment approach for each patient. Combination and rotational therapy are helpful in reducing toxicity and maximizing efficacy. Patients with mild and limited disease respond well to topical treatment with steroids or vitamin D analogues, unlike moderate and severe psoriasis where sufficient remission is rarely achieved. Therefore phototherapy, systemic immunomodulators, or biologic agents are next line of treatment to be considered. There is a limited data available on the use and long-term safety of biologics in the paediatric population. Biologic agents must be administered by experienced dermatologists, only in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, intolerant or refractory to other systemic conventional disease-modifying treatment or phototherapy, or if those agents are contraindicated.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

165612

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/165612

Publication date:

13.9.2016.

Visits: 1.566 *