As per the outcomes of a retrospective case-control study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, elucidating distinctions in dermatological disease characteristics, severity, and treatment responses among pediatric patients grappling with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis can contribute to essential insights for enhancing diagnostic approaches and comprehending the disease trajectory within the pediatric population. The co-occurrence or independent manifestation of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in children can often present a diagnostic quandary.

Ayelet Ollech et al. aimed to conduct a 10-year comparative analysis of cutaneous (skin) manifestations in pediatric patients (≤ 18 years old) affected by psoriasis, with and without concomitant arthritis. The individuals experiencing psoriatic arthritis were compared with those having psoriasis only, focusing on parameters such as body surface area involvement, spread of cutaneous symptoms, skin disease severity, therapy response, and related side effects. All in all, 29 psoriatic arthritis and 64 psoriasis-only patients took part in this study.

Considerably higher mean body surface area (19.7%, Standard deviation [SD] ± 18.7) was observed in the psoriasis-only group compared to the psoriatic arthritis group (6.1%, SD ± 11.4). There was a difference in the distribution of skin involvement, with the psoriasis group exhibiting greater extremities, scalp, chest region, and genitals (reproduction organs). Although partial responses to Methotrexate were found in both groups, the psoriasis group mostly presented complete responses to biologics.

The psoriasis group had an occasional/rare but higher occurrence of adverse events. Hence, psoriasis-only pediatric patients demonstrated higher body surface area involvement and achieved predominantly complete responses to biologics, distinguishing them from psoriatic arthritis counterparts with primarily partial responses to Methotrexate.