Psoriasis is a common chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disorder. Psoriasis begins in childhood in almost one third of the cases. While many affected children have mild disease that responds adequately to topical intervention (creams or ointments), more severe disease is not uncommon and often requires systemic therapy (tablets or injections). However, data were sparse on the relative use of these systemic agents in the pediatric population and standardized guidelines were lacking. An international study in >300 children with psoriasis showed that methotrexate and biologicals, the two most commonly used systemic medications for psoriasis in daily clinical practice, were both safe and efficacious treatment options for severe pediatric psoriasis. Moreover, biologics showed greater effectiveness and less adverse events compared to methotrexate. Another study in children with psoriasis revealed four patient and psoriasis characteristics that could serve as potential predictors for the development of severe psoriasis: male sex, nail involvement, scalp involvement and/or obesity. Knowledge on systemic agents for pediatric psoriasis and identification of children at risk for severe psoriasis is an important step towards more individualized patient-tailored care.
Inge Bronckers (1988) obtained her Master’s degree in Medicine at Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen in 2014 after which she started her PhD in Pediatric Dermatology at the Department of Dermatology, Radboud university medical center. During her PhD she also fulfilled a clinical research fellowship in Pediatric Dermatology at Northwestern University, Chicago IL. She combined her PhD work with her residency in Dermatology, chairmanship of the Dutch Association for residents in Dermatology and Venereology (VADV) and a fellowship in Mohs surgery