Happy is a person who has never visited a doctor in his life. Doubly happy are those parents who have not had to deal with problems associated with the health of the baby. Unfortunately, today this picture more and more resembles a fantastic story. Every year children get sick more often, 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 consider how psoriasis manifests itself in children, causes and treatment.
Photo and description of the disease
Psoriasis is a disease of a chronic nature, which manifests itself in the form of silver-white papules on the skin. This disease 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 is observed, which entails the release of a large number of proteins of the acute phase of inflammation. Macrophages and neutrophils begin to migrate to 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 keratinized epithelium so quickly, new cells during active reproduction lift it in the form of characteristic plaques.
Most often, psoriasis in a child develops if his parents have previously been diagnosed with this ailment. The disease is not contagious and cannot be transmitted by airborne droplets. Characteristic rashes usually appear in the groin, on the buttocks, in the lower back. As the pathology progresses, the limbs and back are affected. In infants, rashes are mainly localized in areas in 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 articular lesions, the patient's age and previous experience with therapy. Usually, doctors try to minimize the use of drugs with hormones, as this can adversely affect a fragile body. In more detail about the treatment tactics we will describe below.
Causes of Psoriasis
As noted above, the normal cycle of skin cell maturation is 28 days. With psoriasis, it decreases to about three days, which is manifested by the formation of plaques.
Scientists have found: in the healthy skin of the child there are the same changes as in the affected areas. In addition, patients usually have abnormalities in the functioning 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;
- infections.
Heredity is the primary factor in the event of a disease. This fact is confirmed by a 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 psoriasis in a child is 25%, when the disease is diagnosed in both - 60-70%.
The so-called environmental factors include seasonal changes, the impact on the child’s psyche of stressful situations, the contact of clothing with skin. Focusing on a sick child at school or kindergarten, limiting contacts due to fear of contracting are just some of the examples that provoke an exacerbation of the disease and increase the area of damage. It is believed that the psyche is especially vulnerable during puberty due to hormonal changes in the body. Therefore, a large percentage of cases of the disease are diagnosed in adolescents.
The causes of psoriasis in children are often of an infectious nature. Influenza, pneumonia, hepatitis - all these diseases trigger infectious-allergic response mechanisms. The so-called post-infectious form is also distinguished when a papular rash in the form of drops spreads throughout the body.
Features of the course of the disease
Depending on the time of the onset of exacerbation, summer and winter variants of the disease are distinguished. In the treatment of the latter, ultraviolet radiation is excellent.
In addition, pathology is divided into the following periods of development:
- Latent (the period before the primary signs of psoriasis appear in a child).
- Manifest (characterized by the appearance of the main clinical manifestations).
- Remission (signs of the disease disappear).
- Relapse (recurrence of symptoms).
The duration of remission is the main criterion by which to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy. It can be complete (all rashes on the skin have disappeared) and incomplete. In the latter case, there remain several elements that the doctors have called the “duty plaques”.
Three stages of the course of the disease are also distinguished: acute, stationary and regressive. The first stage is characterized by the development of the pathological process with the appearance of new rashes, the stationary one is characterized by its slowdown, and the third - by regression.
How does psoriasis manifest 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 silver-whitish patches that constantly peel and itch. After the final formation of cracks in these plaques, bleeding occurs, which increases the likelihood of secondary infection.
Externally, papules on the skin in children are similar to those in adults, but they have some differences. For small patients with this diagnosis, Kebner syndrome is characteristic, that is, the appearance of a rash in areas affected by trauma or irritation.
Silver-whitish plaques can be localized in any part of the body. Most often, the area of the buttocks, knees, navel and scalp is affected. In every third case, doctors diagnose nail psoriasis in children. This is the so-called thimble symptom, when small holes are formed on the nail plates that resemble thimble holes. Often, plaques can be found directly in the folds of the skin.
Types of psoriasis in children
- Plaque-like. This form of the disease is most common. 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 flakes 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 that look like 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, whose symptoms usually appear between the ages of four and five, occurs predominantly after streptococcal infection.
- Pustular. This is a fairly serious form of the disease, most often diagnosed in children in adolescence. Papules are filled with non-infectious exudate.
- Generalized pustular psoriasis. In children, the initial stage of the disease occurs suddenly, the pathology is rapidly spreading over the skin. The disease often affects the work of the heart, kidneys and other systems of internal organs.
- Flexion 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. Lack of timely treatment entails serious complications, and in some cases - death.
- Arthropatic psoriasis in children. A photo of this variant of the pathology can be found in specialized medical guides. It is characterized by the appearance of general discomfort, muscle stiffness, swelling of the toes, and the development of conjunctivitis.
Establishing diagnosis
Diagnosis of the disease is carried out on the basis of anamnesis, the results of examination of the skin, scalp and nails. Sometimes resort to the help of microscopy of flakes of the epithelium.
If the doctor has confirmed psoriasis in a child, parents should not despair. Subject to all the recommendations of a specialist and the right attitude to the current problem of the life of a child, nothing is in danger. A positive attitude in the treatment of this disease is an important factor. Its exacerbation is usually observed with nervous breakdowns, stressful situations, so the baby should be in a good mood.
Drug therapy
What psoriasis looks like in children, we have already told you, now it's time to talk about the main methods of treating this disease. Therapy of an illness is a long process, the main purpose of which is to monitor the condition of a small patient and improve his quality of life. Currently, doctors can not offer a single treatment method that would allow to forget about this problem forever. Taking medications helps to reduce the exacerbation of psoriasis only for a while.
To determine the most effective treatment tactics, 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 consider in more detail which drugs 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 antihistamines (Suprastin, Tavegil).
- Group B vitamins are prescribed for small patients (Pyridoxine, Riboflavin, Cyanocobalamin).
- To activate the body's defenses, drugs with a pyrogenic property are prescribed. They slow down the rate of cell division, normalize vascular permeability (Pyrogenal, Prodigiosan).
- To combat plaques on the palms, dressings with salicylic or prednisolone ointment are used. If psoriasis is in children on the head, papaverine ointment is recommended.
If the above treatment is ineffective, the doctor may prescribe glucocorticoids. Dosage is selected individually.
With concomitant diseases, it is extremely important to sanitize the sources of infection: treat carious teeth, deworming.
What should be the nutrition?
The treatment of psoriasis in children involves not only medication, but also nutritional correction. With infants, everything is very simple - they already do not eat sweet and fatty. The nutrition of children from one year to about 12 years old will have to be changed. As you know, problems in the intestine appear externally in the form of irritations and rashes on the skin. Indeed, improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract can provoke psoriasis in a child, or rather its exacerbation.
First of all, baking, baking, spicy and fried foods should be removed from the diet. It is necessary to minimize the consumption of citrus and some fruits, as well as chocolate.
For a child, giving up sweets is usually considered the worst treatment. Parents should correctly explain the need for such a step. Sweets can be replaced with dried fruits, fried food - steamed. It will be better if the parents and their child review their daily diet. The kid should feel solidarity on the part of adults, then such changes in the diet will not cause him discomfort.
Let's talk about hygiene
If the doctor has diagnosed psoriasis in a child, special attention should be paid to his hygiene. Ideally, it is recommended to take a warm bath every evening with the addition of sage, chamomile or flax seeds. You can not use washcloths and brushes, and shampoo and soap should be replaced with special treatment options. As a rule, they do not differ in a strong smell, but they perfectly relieve itching.
Immediately after bathing, you need to pat the skin with a soft towel, and not wipe it. It will not be superfluous to apply a special moisturizing oil.
Psoriasis in children (photos of patients are presented in this article) is considered an autoimmune disease. The body's defenses are so weak that they cease to fulfill their primary functions. In order for the treatment of the disease to be effective, it is necessary to strengthen immunity.
A doctor can prescribe vitamin preparations, and parents should increase the amount of natural vitamins. This means that fruits, vegetables, dairy products should always be present on the table. It is imperative to ventilate the apartment, including before bedtime. Hardening can be trained, but only after consultation with a specialist.
How to live a child with psoriasis?
We have already described in detail what psoriasis is in children. The causes and treatment of this disease are inextricably linked. What to do next, until the symptoms of the disease have passed? How to live a child with such a diagnosis?
First of all, it is very important to prevent the development of pathologies of an infectious nature. Tonsillectomy and adenotomy can be performed only after three years of age. In 90% of cases of this kind, surgical interventions favorably affect the course of the process. In 10% of patients with this diagnosis, exacerbations continue.
Numerous studies in this area show that relapses as a child grows older are becoming less common, common types of pathology are replaced by limited ones.
Children diagnosed with psoriasis are advised to be constantly monitored in a specialized clinic. Thanks to this approach, the likelihood of repeated relapses is reduced. For these purposes, small patients are prescribed courses of ultraviolet radiation, vitamin therapy and sanitation of foci of infection.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about how psoriasis manifests itself 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, undergo the necessary examination and pass the appropriate tests. Of course, the treatment of psoriasis requires an exclusively qualified approach. Do not self-medicate or resort to the help of recipes of our grandmothers. Only a specialist can confirm the final diagnosis and prescribe competent therapy. Parents have the right to control the process and be aware of existing alternatives.
Psoriasis is a fairly common autoimmune disease. If your child was diagnosed with this, you should not worry ahead of time, because the negative attitude is transmitted to the baby himself. 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 put aside in a distant box. Be healthy!