Juvenile psoriasis: rewarding endeavours in contemporary dermatology and pediatrics

Childhood psoriasis is a well-known entity, which is different from adult onset psoriasis in many ways. Recent data from Germany, where a total of 33981 patients with psoriasis were identified from a database of about 1.3 million non-selected persons of a German statutory health insurance, revealed a total rate of 0.71% in children younger than 18 years. The prevalence rates increased in a linear way from 0.2% at the age of one year to 1.2% at the age of 18 years. Although the different types of psoriasis are present in both children and adults, the individual course of the disease and its distribution shows differences. The overall rate of comorbidity in psoriatic persons younger than 20 years seems to be twice as high as in persons without psoriasis. Treating children with psoriasis still remains challenging and represents one of the most rewarding endeavours in contemporary dermatology, since psoriasis can present with both joint and skin symptoms. An interdisciplinary approach with pediatricians, dermatologist and rheumatologists might be crucial. The multifactorial etiology of the disease has led to the development of a wide variety of different treatments, providing physicians with a multitude of options that must be tailored to the age of the patient and the severity of their symptoms. The provision of adequate care for juvenile psoriasis patients depends to a large extent on a precise knowledge of the range of severity and burden imposed by the disease.