Systemic and Light Therapies for the Management of Childhood Psoriasis: Part II

The choice of treatment for psoriasis in children, as in adults, is determined by disease acuity, morphology, distribution, severity, and the presence of comorbidities, such as psoriatic arthropathy. Fortunately, most patients present with mild disease that responds adequately to topical medications. A minor subset of children will present with severe, rapidly evolving disease that requires more aggressive interventions. Advanced medical treatment with systemic and phototherapy is challenging and primarily anecdotal, as these modalities are neither well-studied nor approved for use in children. Part II of this 2-part series features an overview of systemic and light therapies including their varying degrees of effectiveness, potential side-effects and applications in clinical practice.