Practice Patterns of Palmoplantar Pustulosis: Patient Demographics and Treatment Options

Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a chronic skin condition characterized by sterile pustules on the palms and soles. This condition is more commonly reported among women and smokers causing considerable discomfort and interference with daily activities. Although there are various off-label treatment options available for PPP, there remains a demand to identify more effective and safer treatments.

To review the patient demographics and treatment patterns of our PPP patient population.

A retrospective chart review was performed at a dermatology office with two locations in Ontario, Canada.

We identified 71 adult PPP patients. A third of patients did not return for follow up after diagnosis. Among those who returned for follow-up, 20% were managed with topical therapy alone. Of our patients who took systemic treatment for PPP, apremilast, followed by ustekinumab and guselkumab, had the greatest retention of therapy.

Targeting PDE4, IL-12/23 and IL-23 provided some benefit for our patients with PPP leading to greatest retention of therapy over time. Further investigation is required into the cause for high no-show rates and the search for effective and safe treatment options.