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Childhood psoriasis: a survey among pediatricians in Italy
Porfirio Toscano1, Paolo Chiodini2, Orsola Ametrano3
1Pediatric Unit, ASL Napoli 1, Naples, Italy.
Insights
Childhood psoriasis presents unique patterns, with plaque psoriasis being most common. This study highlights distinct differences in presentation between male and female pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Inflammatory Skin Diseases
Background:
- Psoriasis is a prevalent inflammatory skin condition.
- There is a growing focus on psoriasis in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the characteristics and presentation patterns of childhood psoriasis in Italy.
- To identify potential differences in psoriasis presentation between genders in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted among 37 pediatricians across Italy.
- Pediatricians reviewed patient databases for diagnoses of psoriasis.
- Data collected included patient demographics, psoriasis type, affected sites, family history, and comorbidities.
Main Results:
- Out of 28,086 patients, 66 were diagnosed with psoriasis (mean age 5.7).
- Plaque psoriasis was most common (66.7%), primarily affecting the trunk (51.5%). Nail psoriasis occurred in 22.7%.
- Overweight (25.4%) and atopic dermatitis (18.2%) were common comorbidities. Males showed more plaque psoriasis, while females had more napkin area involvement.
Conclusions:
- Childhood psoriasis exhibits distinct presentation patterns.
- Gender-specific differences in psoriasis presentation were observed in pediatric patients.
- Further research is recommended to confirm these findings.
Background:
Psoriasis is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases. There seem to be an increasing interest in childhood psoriasis in recent years.
Methods:
We conducted a survey among pediatricians in Italy. 50 pediatricians from different areas in Italy (north, center and south) were invited to participate, 37 were responding and active in data collection. Doctors were asked to review their databases and to fill a form providing a series of information about all patients diagnosed with psoriasis attending their ambulatory.
Results:
The total number of patients referring to the responding doctors was 28086. Of these, 66 were diagnosed with psoriasis. Mean age was 5.7, (6.3 in males and 5.1 in females). The majority of patients presented plaque psoriasis (N.=44; 66.7%), followed by inverse (N.=9; 13.6%), and guttate psoriasis (N.=7; 10.6%). The main site of presentation was the trunk (51.5%), followed by scalp (15.2%) and napkin area (12.1%). Fifteen patients presented nail psoriasis (22.7%). In the majority of cases no family history was reported (83.3%), first degree relatives presented psoriatic lesions in only 7 cases (10.6%). The comorbidity most frequently reported was overweight (N.=16, 25.4%), followed by atopic dermatitis (N.=12; 18.2%). Differences in the main pattern of presentation were found between male and female patients, in particular, a plaque type psoriasis was more frequent in males (79.4% vs. 53.1%; P=0.048). Female patients presented psoriasis of the napkin area more frequently than males (21.9% vs. 2.9%, P=0.025).
Conclusions:
Peculiar pattern of presentation can be detected in childhood psoriasis. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.
