Psoriasis in a child: causes, symptoms, treatment

Happy is the man who never addressed a doctor in his life. Doubly happy are those parents who did not have to deal with problems related to the health of the baby. Unfortunately, today such a picture is more like a fantastic story. Children every year get sick more often, the ailments become more insidious. One of them is psoriasis (scaly lichen). It is this pathology that most often affects babies. In this article, we will examine how psoriasis manifests in children, causes and treatment.

Photo and description of the disease

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that manifests itself in the form of silvery-white papules on the skin. This ailment occurs in children of different age groups, including infants and newborns.

Normally keratinocytes (skin cells) are updated every 28 days. With the development of this disease, activation of the body's defenses and simultaneous stimulation of T-lymphocytes are observed, which entails the release of a large number of proteins of the acute phase of inflammation. Macrophages and neutrophils begin to migrate into the skin. As a result, this process ends with excessive proliferation of keratinocytes within 2-3 days. Since the skin is not able to lose the keratinized epithelium so rapidly, new cells raise it in the form of characteristic plaques when active reproduction occurs.

Most often, psoriasis in a child develops in the event that his parents had previously been diagnosed with this ailment. The disease is not contagious and can not be transmitted by airborne droplets. Typical eruptions usually appear in the groin area, on the buttocks, in the zone of the lower back. As the pathology progresses, the limbs and the back are affected. In infants, rashes are mainly localized in areas that come into contact with the diaper.

Diagnosis of the disease is simple and does not require any serious research. In some cases, the doctor may additionally take a scraping from the affected area to conduct a biopsy and exclude other pathologies of a similar nature.

Treatment depends on the severity of the disease, the presence of joint damage, the patient's age and previous experience of therapy. Usually, doctors try to minimize the use of drugs with hormones, as this can negatively affect the immature body. More details about the tactics of treatment will be described below.

Causes of psoriasis

As already noted above, the normal cycle of maturation of skin cells lasts for 28 days. In psoriasis, it decreases to about three days, which is manifested by the formation of plaques.

Scientists have established: in the healthy skin of the child there are the same changes as in the affected areas. In addition, patients usually notice abnormalities in the work of the immune and endocrine systems, metabolism, and other pathological changes. All this indicates that scaly lichen is a systemic ailment.

The main causes of psoriasis in children can be divided into several groups:

• heredity;
• Wednesday;
• Infection.

Heredity is the primary factor in the onset of the disease. This fact is confirmed by long-term study of dermatosis in twins and close relatives in the family, as well as biochemical studies of absolutely healthy family members. If the pathology is confirmed in one of the parents, the probability of occurrence of psoriasis in the child is 25%, when the disease is diagnosed in both - 60-70%.

To the so-called environmental factors include seasonal changes, the impact on the child's psyche of stressful situations, contact of clothing with skin integuments. Focusing on a sick child in a school or kindergarten, limiting contacts due to fear of contracting are just some of the examples that provoke an aggravation of the disease and increase the area of the lesion. It is believed that especially vulnerable psyche during puberty due to hormonal changes in the body. Therefore, a large percentage of cases are diagnosed in adolescents.

The causes of psoriasis in children are often infectious. Influenza, pneumonia, hepatitis - all these diseases trigger infectious and allergic response mechanisms. Also, the so-called post-infection form is isolated, when the papular rash in the form of drops spreads throughout the body.

Features of the course of the disease

Depending on the time of occurrence of an exacerbation, summer and winter variants of the disease are distinguished. Ultraviolet irradiation helps in the treatment of the latter.

In addition, the pathology is divided into the following periods of development:

• Latent (the period before the primary signs of psoriasis in the child appear).
• Manifest (is characterized by the emergence of major clinical manifestations).
• Remission (signs of illness disappear).
• Relapse (repeated occurrence of symptoms).

The duration of remission is the main criterion by which the effectiveness of the therapy is assessed. It can be complete (all the rashes on the skin have disappeared) and incomplete. In the latter case, there are several elements that doctors called "plaque on duty".

There are also three stages of the course of the disease: acute, stationary and regressive. The first stage is characterized by the development of the pathological process with the appearance of new eruptions, the stationary one is characterized by its slowing down, and the third is characterized by regression.

How does psoriasis develop in children (photo)

The initial stage is characterized by the appearance on the skin of the rash in the form of islets of red color with silvery whitish areas, which constantly flake and itch. After the final formation of cracks on these plaques, bleeding occurs, which increases the likelihood of secondary infection.

Externally papules on the skin of children are similar to those in adults, but they have some differences. For young patients with this diagnosis, Kebner syndrome is characteristic, that is, the occurrence of rash in areas affected by injuries or irritation.

Silvery-whitish plaques can be localized on any parts of the body. Most often affects the zone of the buttocks, knees, navel and scalp. In every third case, doctors diagnose nail psoriasis in children. This is the so-called symptom of a thimble, when small holes are formed on the nail plates resembling thimble orifices. Often plaques can be found right in the folds of the skin.

Types of psoriasis in children

• Plaque-shaped. This form of the disease occurs most often. It is characterized by the appearance of small reddish spots on the skin. Their upper layer is usually loose and scaly, and the lower one is very dense. When the scales are removed, the plaques begin to increase in size.
• Teardrop-shaped. This type of disease is characterized by the appearance of many small red dots, outwardly reminiscent of a drop. Papules rise above the surface of the skin, rapidly increasing in size. Most often localized in the legs and arms, on the head. Teardrop-shaped psoriasis in children, the symptoms of which usually appear between the ages of four and five, occur primarily after streptococcal infection.
• Pustular. This is a fairly serious form of ailment, most often diagnosed in children in adolescence. Papules are filled with noninfectious exudate.
• Generalized pustular psoriasis. In children, the initial stage of the disease occurs suddenly, the pathology rapidly spreads over the skin. Disease often affects the work of the heart, kidneys and other systems of internal organs.
• Bending surfaces. The disease is accompanied by the appearance of smooth papules, which slightly rise above the surface of the skin. This form most often affects the inner thighs, the groin area.
• Erythrodermic. Pathology is characterized by soreness and severe itching. The lack of timely treatment entails serious complications, and in some cases - a fatal outcome.
• Arthropathic psoriasis in children. Photos of this variant of pathology can be seen in specialized medical reference books. It is characterized by the appearance of general discomfort, muscle rigidity, swelling of the fingers of the feet, the development of conjunctivitis.

Establishing diagnosis

Diagnosis of the disease is carried out on the basis of data of anamnesis, results of examination of the skin, scalp and nails. Sometimes they resort to microscopy of epithelial scales.

If the doctor has confirmed psoriasis in the child, the parents should not despair. With all the recommendations of a specialist and the correct attitude to the current problem of the life of the child, nothing is threatened. A positive attitude in the therapy of this disease is an important factor. Its aggravation is usually observed with nervous breakdowns, stressful situations, so the baby should ensure a good mood.

Medication Therapy

How does psoriasis in children look like, we already told, now it's time to talk about the basic methods of treating this disease. Therapy of ailment is a long process, the main purpose of which is to control the condition of a small patient and improve his quality of life. Currently, doctors can not offer any method of treatment that would allow forever to forget about this problem. Taking medications helps to relieve the exacerbation of psoriasis only for a while.

To determine the most effective tactics of therapy, it is necessary to take into account the form of the disease, the severity of the pathological process, the age of the potential patient. As a rule, children are recommended local treatment with ointments and special creams. Below we will consider in more detail what preparations are prescribed for this disease.

• Desensitizing (10% calcium chloride solution) and sedatives (tincture of valerian).
• With severe itching, treatment of psoriasis in children is carried out with antihistamine drugs (Suprastin, Tavegil).
• Small patients are prescribed vitamins of group B ("Pyridoxine", "Riboflavin", "Cyanocobalamin").
• To activate the protective forces of the body prescribe drugs that have a pyrogenic property. They slow down the rate of cell division, normalize vascular permeability ("Pyrogenal", "Prodigiozan").
• To combat plaques on the palms, bandages with salicylic or prednisolone ointment are used. If psoriasis in children on the head, recommend papaverine ointment.

If the treatment described above is ineffective, the doctor may prescribe glucocorticoids. Dosage is selected individually.

With accompanying diseases it is extremely important to sanitize the sources of infection: to treat carious teeth, deworming.

What should be the food?

Treatment of psoriasis in children implies not only the intake of medications, but also the correction of nutrition. With babies it's very simple - they do not eat sweet and fat. Nutrition for children from one year and up to about 12 years will have to change. As you know, problems in the intestine manifest themselves in the form of stimuli and rashes on the skin. Indeed, improper operation of the gastrointestinal tract can provoke psoriasis in the child, or rather, its aggravation.

First of all, the diet should remove muffin and pastries, spicy and fried foods. It is necessary to minimize the consumption of citrus fruits and some fruits, as well as chocolate.

For a child, giving up a sweet is usually considered the worst thing in treatment. Parents should explain the need for such a step as accurately as possible. Sweets can be replaced with dried fruits, fried foods - steamed. It will be better if the parents, together with the child, reconsider their daily diet. The kid should feel solidarity on the part of adults, then such changes in the diet will not give him discomfort.

Let's Talk About Hygiene

If the doctor diagnosed psoriasis in a child, special attention should be paid to his hygiene. Ideally, every evening, it is recommended to take a warm bath with the addition of sage, chamomile or flax seeds. Do not use scouring pads and brushes, and shampoo and soap should be replaced by special treatment options. As a rule, they do not differ in strong odor, but they completely relieve itching.

Immediately after bathing, you need to dab the skin with a soft towel, and do not wipe. It will not be superfluous to apply special oil for moisturizing.

Psoriasis in children (photos of patients presented in this article) is considered an autoimmune disease. The defenses of the body are so weak that they cease to fulfill their primary functions. To treat the disease was effective, it is necessary to strengthen immunity.

Vitamin preparations can be prescribed by a doctor, and parents should increase the amount of natural vitamins. This means that on the table should always be present fruits, vegetables, dairy products. It is necessary to air the apartment, including before bedtime. Hardening can be trained, but only after consulting a specialist.

How to live a child with psoriasis?

We have already described in detail what the psoriasis of children is. The causes and treatment of this disease are inextricably linked. What to do next, until the symptoms of the ailment have passed? How to live a child with such a diagnosis?

In the first place, it is very important to prevent the development of pathologies of infectious nature. Tonsillectomy and adenotomy can be carried out only after three years of age. In 90% of cases, this kind of surgery has a positive effect on the course of the process. In 10% of patients with this diagnosis, exacerbations continue.

Numerous studies in this area show that relapse as the child grows up more and more rarely, common types of pathology are replaced by limited ones.

Children with a diagnosis of "psoriasis" are encouraged to follow-up at a specialized dispensary. This approach reduces the likelihood of repeated relapses. For these purposes, small patients are prescribed courses of ultraviolet irradiation, vitamin therapy and sanation of foci of infection.

Conclusion

In this article, we described how psoriasis is manifested in children (photo). The initial stage of this disease is characterized by the appearance of plaques and itching on the skin. If these symptoms occur, you should immediately seek help from a doctor, take the necessary tests and pass the appropriate tests. Certainly, therapy of psoriasis requires an exceptionally qualified approach. Do not self-medicate or resort to the help of our grandmother's recipes. Confirm the final diagnosis and appoint competent therapy can only specialist. Parents have the right to control the process and to know about existing alternatives.

Psoriasis is a fairly common disease of the autoimmune nature. If your child is diagnosed as such, do not worry too soon, because the negative attitude is transmitted to the baby. Scientists around the world continue to work actively to find a universal remedy for this ailment. Unfortunately, those drugs that modern medicine offers can only reduce the manifestation of symptoms. In any case, treatment should not be postponed to a remote box. Be healthy!