Abstract
INTRODUCTION: in one third of patients with psoriasis, symptoms start during childhood and adolescence, with a strong emotional and psychosocial impact. OBJECTIVE: to develop a guideline for the systemic treatment of psoriasis in pediatric patients by means of recommendations based on the best available evidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sources: articles indexed in PubMed, Epistemonikos, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Scielo, published between January 2010 and May 2022, in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Study selection: evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled studies, observational studies (case-control, cohort studies, real-life registries) and evaluations of biosimilar drugs in patients up to and including 17 years of age were considered. The keywords "psoriasis" and "treatment" were used in all three languages. Data extraction: the literature was evaluated using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) recommendations. Data synthesis: evidence tables were developed and analyzed by the expert committee. The questions for the development of recommendations were based on the PICO system (population, intervention, comparison, outcome). RESULTS: A total of 8 recommendations and 7 points of good practice were developed. The direction and strength of the recommendations were expressed according to the GRADE system. CONCLUSIONS: the final decision on a specific therapy should be based on the best opinion of the treating physician, the individual characteristics, and the values and preferences of the patients and their caregivers.