Pattern of Papulosquamous Disorders in Children: A Clinico-Epidemiological Study

Introduction Skin disorders are a major health problem in the pediatric age group and are associated with significant morbidity. Papulosquamous disorders, forming a major part of the skin diseases in children, present in a variety of clinical pattern. This study is conducted in order to study the hospital-based prevalence of papulosquamous disorders in the pediatric age group (2-14 years) and to determine the morphology and clinical patterns with respect to their age and sex distribution. Methodology An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1, 2019, to May 30, 2021, in the outpatient department of the Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology, JK Hospital and LN Medical College, Bhopal, India. Ninety-five consecutive patients belonging to the age group of 2-14 years, attending the Dermatology OPD and also referred cases from the Pediatrics Department were enrolled in the study. A detailed history of illness, regarding age, duration, onset, symptoms, recurrence, family history of the disease, pre-existing medical conditions, and drug intake history was taken. Information regarding the history of fever, sore throat, and vaccination was noted. Clinical and dermatological examination including hair, nail, and mucosal examination was done for all the cases. Necessary investigations were ordered for relevant cases and the data was recorded in a form specially designed for the study. Results In the present study, papulosquamous disorders constituted 2.9% of all pediatric (2-14 years) dermatosis. Of the various papulosquamous disorders found, psoriasis was the most common disease that was found (in 31.6%) followed by Gianotti-Crosti syndrome (18.9%), and lichen planus (18.9%). Males outnumbered females with a ratio of 1.48:1. The incidence of papulosquamous disorders was highest in 11-14 years of age in the present study. Conclusion Papulosquamous disorders account for a large number of the overall dermatoses, belonging to both the adult and pediatric populations. Due to significant changes in clinical presentation, geographical and environmental influences, treatment, and prognosis; the papulosquamous group of disorders in children require a varying approach than adult dermatoses. More studies are required in this field to appropriately diagnose and manage pediatric papulosquamous disorders in order to reduce the disease burden and as a key to better patient care.