Psoriasis in Children.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pediatrics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition.
• Childhood-onset psoriasis requires specific epidemiological understanding.
• Prevalence and characteristics in Indian pediatric populations are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of childhood psoriasis in Indian outpatients.
• To describe the clinical characteristics, age of onset, and family history.
• To evaluate treatment responses in pediatric psoriasis patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study design.
• Inclusion of general skin disease outpatients.
• Data collection on demographics, clinical presentation, family history, and treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• Overall prevalence of childhood psoriasis was 0.1% among outpatients.
• 8.5% of Indian psoriatics had childhood onset, peaking between 4-8 years.
• Plaque psoriasis was most common; guttate lesions (25%) often followed throat infections and were itchy.
• Nail involvement exceeded 60%; facial and scalp involvement patterns differed from adults.
• Coal tar treatment showed satisfactory response; penicillin was effective for guttate lesions.
• Pustular, erythrodermic, and psoriatic arthritis were rare in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Childhood psoriasis has a distinct epidemiological profile in India.
• Early onset, common types, and specific triggers like throat infections are key features.
• Effective treatment options include coal tar and penicillin for specific lesion types.