Systemic Treatment of Pediatric Psoriasis: a Review
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) DOI 10.1007/s13555-016-0117-6 REVIEW Systemic Treatment of Pediatric Psoriasis: A Review Maddalena Napolitano . Matteo Megna . Anna Balato . Fabio Ayala . Serena Lembo . Alessia Villani . Nicola Balato Received: February 29, 2016 Ó The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com ABSTRACT addition, due to psoriasis’ chronic nature and frequently occurring relapses, psoriatic patients Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated, tend to have an impaired quality of life, often inflammatory skin disease, affecting 1–3% of requiring long-term treatment. Therefore, the white population. Although the existence of education of both pediatric patients and their two psoriasis incidence peaks has been parents is essential to successful and safe disease suggested (one in adolescence before 20 years management. Given the lack of officially of age and another in adulthood), its onset may approved therapies, the very limited occur at any age, including childhood and evidence-based data from randomized adolescence, in which the incidence is now controlled trials, and the absence of estimated at 40.8 per 100,000. As for adult standardized guidelines, to date, pediatric psoriasis, pediatric psoriasis has recently been psoriasis treatment is primarily based on associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, published case reports, case series, guidelines increased waist circumference percentiles and for adult psoriasis, expert opinions and metabolic laboratory abnormalities, warranting experience with these drugs in other pediatric early monitoring and lifestyle modifications. In disorders coming from the disciplines of rheumatology, gastroenterology and oncology. This review focuses on the use of systemic treatments in pediatric psoriasis and their Enhanced content To view enhanced content for this specific features, analyzing the few literature article go to www.medengine.com/Redeem/15B4F0600 F2B8B8E. evidences available, expanding the treatment repertoire and guiding dermatologists in better M. Napolitano and M. Megna contributed equally to this managing of recalcitrant pediatric psoriasis. study. M. Napolitano Á M. Megna (&) Á A. Balato Á F. Ayala Á S. Lembo Á A. Villani Á N. Balato Keywords: Biologics; Childhood; Pediatric Department of Dermatology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy psoriasis; Systemic treatments e-mail: [email protected] Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) INTRODUCTION psoriasis in the following databases through 7 February 2016: PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease Library, Google Scholar, Scopus and EBSCO. that affects 1–3% of the population [1]. This The following key words were used: ‘‘pediatric multifactorial papulosquamous disorder is also psoriasis,’’ ‘‘childhood psoriasis,’’ ‘‘systemic believed to be common in pediatrics [2]. therapy,’’ ‘‘systemic treatments,’’ ‘‘psoriasis,’’ Particularly, psoriasis is reported to affect 0.5–1% ‘‘childhood,’’ ‘‘children,’’ ‘‘infancy,’’ of children in Europe [3]. Moreover, the incidence ‘‘cyclosporine,’’ ‘‘methotrexate,’’ ‘‘acitretin,’’ of pediatric psoriasis is significantly increased over ‘‘etretinate,’’ ‘‘fumaric acid esters,’’ ‘‘biologics,’’ time, being now estimated at 40.8 per 100,000 ‘‘adalimumab,’’ ‘‘etanercept,’’ ‘‘infliximab’’ and with a median age onset between 7 and 10 years [4, ‘‘ustekinumab.’’ This article reviews especially 5]. Furthermore, a few prevalence surveys have newer data to address the issues that surround demonstrated that about one-third of psoriasis pediatric psoriasis and to provide an update on patients sometimes develop their symptoms its systemic treatments. All the evidence was during childhood, although some of these may evaluated by the authors, who then combined not be diagnosed until adulthood [6, 7]. Since this with clinical experience of everyday children differ from adults, specific guidelines practice in an effort to provide a complete underlining clinical pictures and management review of the management of psoriasis in are needed to support early intervention, which childhood. is also fundamental to achieving psychological This article is based on previously conducted comfort and preventing the appearance of studies and does not involve any new studies of comorbidities, apart from controlling and human or animal subjects performed by any of limiting the burden of the disease [8]. However, the authors. there are currently no international standardized guidelines for medical treatment of pediatric MANAGEMENT OF PEDIATRIC psoriasis. Indeed, to date, treatment is primarily PSORIASIS: SYSTEMIC THERAPY based on published case reports, case series, guidelines for adult psoriasis, expert opinions and The management of pediatric psoriasis is a experience with these drugs in other pediatric complicated and intriguing task. Standardized disorders. As a consequence, most anti-psoriatic guidelines for the treatment of children with drugs, especially systemic ones, are often used off psoriasis are lacking, although certain published label [2].Thisreviewfocusesontheuseofsystemic psoriasis guidelines for adults address several treatments in pediatric psoriasis and their specific issues that concern younger populations [9, 10]. and peculiar features analyzing the few literature Both available systemic therapies for pediatric evidences and studies regarding systemic therapy psoriasis and randomized controlled trials in childhood psoriasis management. supporting their use are limited, so that physicians have to rely on data from case METHODS reports and case series from the field of dermatology as well as from the application of We searched for English-language literature the same drugs but for rheumatologic or regarding systemic treatments in pediatric gastroenterological pediatric conditions. Given Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) Table 1 General approach to pediatric psoriasis treatment General approach to pediatric psoriasis treatment Factors to consider Special issues Patient age Girls of childbearing potential (avoid retinoids) Type of psoriasis (guttate, plaque, Unstable disease (consider cyclosporine) pustular or erythrodermic) Clinical severity of the disease Presence of psoriatic arthritis (consider methotrexate or biologics) Location of psoriasis Intense physical activity (avoid retinoids) Impact on quality of life Psychological burden of the condition Comorbidities (psoriatic arthritis, obesity, etc.) Patient’s previous treatments Patient’s preferences the lack of guidelines, a general approach (311–313 nm) and UVA (320–400 nm). They should be performed (Table 1): the choice of inhibit DNA synthesis and keratinocyte the most appropriate treatment should be proliferation and induce apoptosis of T influenced by several factors such as patient lymphocytes and production of age, clinical severity of the disease, the impact anti-inflammatory mediators [13]. BB-UVB on quality of life, the psychological burden of comprises the most active portion of sunlight the condition, the presence of comorbidities radiation and produces excellent responses in (psoriatic arthritis, obesity, etc.), as well as the case of guttate psoriasis. NB-UVB is less patient’s previous treatments and preferences erythemogenic than BB-UVB and has been [2, 11]. shown to be effective especially for guttate or thin plaque disease; it is now considered the PHOTOTHERAPY first-line phototherapy, because of its association with milder side effects [14, 15]. Short-term side Children with psoriasis typically respond very effects from UVB phototherapy have been well well to treatment with phototherapy, which is described also in pediatric population and considered an appropriate treatment in case of comprise dry skin, itch, erythema, blistering debilitating palmo-plantar psoriasis, diffuse and herpes virus activation [16]. On the other psoriasis involving more than 15–20% of the hand, long-term side effects, mainly consisting body surface area, refractory plaque/ of premature photoaging and carcinogenesis, are guttate/pustular psoriasis or patients who not well documented in children [15, 16]. cannot receive systemic drugs for their However, the cumulative effect of UVB moderate to severe psoriasis [12]. There are phototherapy and chronic sun exposure has three main alternatives: broadband ultraviolet been linked to skin cancer. Thus, long-term B (BB-UVB, 280–320 nm), narrowband (NB)-UVB follow-up of psoriatic children who attend Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) phototherapy is necessary to clarify the ingestion-related toxicity, including nausea associations with adverse effects. The and vomiting, headaches, ocular and hepatic cumulative UVB dose and cancer risk can be toxicity, generalized photosensitization needing reduced combining phototherapy with systemic photoprotection for 24 h, the possibility of or topical treatment, such as acitretin and burning and long-term risk of skin cancer [12, calcipotriol, respectively [16–18]. NB-UVB is 26]. Indeed, PUVA is now rarely used in children considered the most efficacious and safe type of because of long-term toxicity; topical PUVA phototherapy in children [19]. In 2011, a treatments are generally preferred [15]. retrospective study in pediatric psoriasis patients showed complete clearance in 51% NON-BIOLOGIC SYSTEMIC DRUGS and a good response (at least 75% improvement) in 41% of the subjects through a Severe or refractory plaque, pustular or mean treatment duration of 3.3 months [20]. erythrodermic psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis Recently, Wong et al. performed a retrospective