35050 How to manage psoriasis in patients with skin of color

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects diverse ethnic groups with a wide spectrum of skin colors. There are significant differences in how psoriasis presents and impacts the quality of life in nonwhite individuals. Genetic variations, cultural, and socioeconomic factors all play a role in such differences and have important implications for management of psoriasis in skin of color. Despite these differences, the current psoriasis management is similar across different ethnic backgrounds and is mainly guided by factors such as disease severity, medical comorbidities, and patient preferences. This is largely due to the lack of sufficient evidence for psoriasis treatment tailored for patients with skin of color as most clinical trials are composed of mainly white individuals. Therefore, the focus of this presentation is to comprehensively review the current evidence on how epidemiology, clinical presentation, and genetic differences in patients with skin of color with psoriasis may impact treatment strategies. Additionally, pharmacologic therapies available in literature to date in these diverse patient cohorts are summarized. Limited data published on this topic reveals a significant need for more investigations with the ultimate goal of incorporating recommendations for patients with skin of colour into the current guidelines for psoriasis treatment. Moreover, awareness of differences in psoriasis presentation among individuals with skin of color may support patients to seek medical care sooner, which could result in earlier diagnosis and lead to improved patient outcomes.