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. 2023 Dec 31;13(1):242.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13010242.

Pediatric Psoriasis with or without Arthritis: Does It Make a Difference?

Ayelet Ollech  1   2 , Mor Rotenberg  3 , Irit Tirosh  2   4 , Efrat Bar-Ilan  1   2 , Michal Solomon  2   5 , Shoshana Greenberger  1   2 , Felix Pavlotsky  2   5   6
Affiliations

Pediatric Psoriasis with or without Arthritis: Does It Make a Difference?

Ayelet Ollech et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis can present simultaneously or separately in children and may pose a diagnostic challenge.

Objective: To compare the dermatological manifestations in pediatric psoriatic patients with and without arthritis.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study of psoriatic patients ≤ 18 years old at Sheba Medical Center was conducted between 2011 and 2021. Patients with psoriatic arthritis versus psoriasis-only were compared according to body surface area (BSA) involvement, cutaneous distribution, severity of skin disease, response to treatment and related side effects.

Results: The study cohort included 29 psoriatic arthritis and 64 psoriasis-only patients matched by age and sex. The psoriasis-only group had a significantly higher mean BSA (19.7%, SD ± 18.7) than the psoriatic arthritis group (6.1%, SD ± 11.4), (p = 0.029). The skin distribution differed with the psoriasis group showing more involvement of the extremities, scalp, trunk, and genitals. Both groups primarily experienced partial responses to methotrexate, whereas the psoriasis group mainly saw complete responses to biologics. Adverse events were rare, with a higher incidence in the psoriasis group.

Conclusion: This retrospective study highlights the differences in cutaneous disease characteristics, severity, and treatment response in pediatric patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, providing valuable insights for diagnosis and disease course in the pediatric population.

Keywords: joints; juvenile inflammatory arthritis; pediatrics; psoriasis; psoriatic arthritis; systemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The age distribution for psoriatic arthritis for each sex.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The distribution of body surface area in the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis groups. BSA—body surface area, PSO—psoriasis group, PSA—psoriatic arthritis group. Whisker plot showing outliers, 5–95% CI, The interquartile range and median values.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The distribution of psoriasis by body area in the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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