BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of the skin, nails, and joints that develop in genetically predisposed individuals. Despite the low prevalence of pediatric psoriasis, it is not an uncommon condition since one-third of adults with psoriasis had its onset during childhood. At present, published literature on pediatric psoriasis in the Philippines is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the clinicodemographic and healthcare resource utilization profiles of pediatric psoriasis patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a 4-year retrospective study conducted at a tertiary public hospital in the Philippines utilizing chart review of patients aged 18 years and below, diagnosed with psoriasis.

RESULTS

The average age is 10.68 years while the mean age at diagnosis is 10.35 years. There is female predilection. For the initial psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores, 5.26% had mild, 8.77% had moderate, and 33.33% had severe PASI. Majority of the lesions at initial diagnosis were observed on the trunk, followed by extremities and then scalp. Only 5 out of 57 patients were noted to have been triggered by an infection. Eight out of 57 patients had a positive family history. The most common nail finding is onycholysis, followed by pitting and then oil spots and subungual hyperkeratosis. For the comorbidities, 17.5% have atopy-associated conditions. Majority of the patients were given topical anti-inflammatory treatments; 12% were prescribed systemic treatment while only 5.26% utilized phototherapy. The average cost of hospitalization is PHP 17,967.17.

CONCLUSION

Most of the data gathered and presented in the study are in agreement with published studies on pediatric psoriasis among Asian populations.

Human