Treatment patterns with systemic antipsoriatic agents in childhood psoriasis: an Italian database analysis

BACKGRO UND: The majority of available systemic therapies have never been systematically investigated in moderate to severe childhood plaque psoriasis. For this reason, treatment preferences for moderate to severe psoriasis in childhood are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the systemic treatment patterns of moderate to severe psoriasis in children and adolescents aged 18 or older in Italy. Additional secondary outcomes were duration of treatment and reasons for discontinuation. METHODS: In order to define differences in treatment patterns, we performed a chart review of all consecutive patients treated with systemic drugs during an index period of 5 years. Consecutive sampling of all patients with psoriasis aged ?18 years, who had been treated with at least one systemic drug over a 5-year period, was made. RE SULTLTS: The records of 58 consecutive patients, 27 males, 31 females. with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with at least one systemic therapy were rev...