Unmet needs in the management of psoriasis in Latin America: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease with a worldwide prevalence of approximately 2%. Currently, despite the difficulties faced every day by patients and physicians in low-resource countries, literature describing the exact needs of psoriasis treatment in Latin America remains scarce. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the unmet needs in psoriasis treatment in Latin America. METHODS: The authors conducted a systematic review following PRISMA statements in PubMed, Embase, and LILACS of studies published from January 2011 to March 2021 addressing challenges in psoriasis treatment in Latin America. RESULTS: The search strategy identified 3,837 articles, of which 19 were included in the final analysis. Most were from Brazil (58%; n=11), all were observational, and most were cross-sectional (84%; n=16). Difficulties faced by psoriasis patients in Latin America included the high prevalence of opportunistic and endemic infections (42% of the studies addressed this matter; n=8), delay in diagnosis (5%; n=1), work productivity impairment (16%; n=3), limited access to medication/medical care (37%; n=7), poor adherence to treatment (5%; n=1) and poor adherence to guidelines (11%; n=2). STUDY LIMITATIONS: Number and quality of studies currently available on this subject. CONCLUSIONS: Current psoriasis guidelines do not always account for epidemiological, financial, and cultural characteristics. Most studies available are from Brazil, which might not accurately represent Latin America as a whole. In a region where neglected diseases and scarce resources remain a reality, it is imperative that dermatological training be offered to primary care providers, allowing for standardized conduct and earlier diagnosis.

The influence of sleep quality on the development of periocular hyperchromia: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Periorbital hyperchromia (POH), popularly known as "dark circles," is a very frequent complaint in dermatological appointments. It affects all phototypes, genders, and ages, and it is associated with a tired and aged aspect to the face, which may lead to esthetic concerns and impairments in the quality of life. Its etiology is multifactorial, and it is believed that sleep disorders may be considered as precipitating or aggravating factors. AIMS: Our objective is to compare sleep quality (using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI) of patients with POH to patients without this complaint. METHODS: A single-center, case-control study. Patients from both genders were included. Cases were patients with POH, and controls had no POH. Demographic data, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and PSQI were collected. A power of 80% and statistical significance when a P-value was lower than .05 were stipulated. RESULTS: Out of 303 patients, 149 cases and 154 controls, with a mean age of 35.83 ± 11.38 for cases and 37.52 ± 14.89 for controls, there was no significant difference between groups. The DLQI revealed a mean of 4.86 ± 4.89 for cases and 2.25 ± 3.73 for controls (P < .0001), which translates into a modest effect in life quality. The PSQI mean was 5.93 ± 2.52 for cases and 6.14 ± 3.58 for controls (P = .633), which characterizes the poor quality of sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Dark circles impact negatively on the quality of life of affected patients, especially in women. Contrary to what has been believed, sleep alone does not seem to influence the appearance of POH. NCT03393624.

Quality of Life Impairment in Children and Adults with Vitiligo: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Dermatology-Specific and Disease-Specific Quality of Life Instruments.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo can negatively affect a patient's quality of life (QoL). A specific questionnaire has been developed and validated in the English language: the vitiligo-specific quality-of-life instrument (VitiQoL). The instrument was translated, culturally adapted and validated into Brazilian Portuguese (VitiQoL-PB). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the QoL in adult patients through the VitiQoL and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and in pediatric patients through the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) in a sample of patients with vitiligo. METHODS: Subjects were selected from a dermatological outpatient clinic and from a private practice in Porto Alegre. The QoL of pediatric patients was evaluated using the CDLQI questionnaire. In adult patients we used the VitiQoL-PB and the DLQI. RESULTS: A strong correlation between the scores of the total VitiQoL and DLQI was observed (r = 0.81; p < 0.001). The factor that most contributed to the final score of VitiQoL was stigma. In our sample, women had higher scores than men (p < 0.05). Psychiatric problems were associated with lower QoL. In the pediatric population, the median score of the CDLQI was 3 (interquartile range 1.3-7.3). There was a statistically significant correlation between the child's age and the CDLQI score (rs = 0.41, p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that the VitiQoL is easy to administer and adds important information about the impact of vitiligo on a South American population. Stigmatization is very present in the disease. There are groups of patients that are more vulnerable, like women, patients with psychiatric diseases and adolescents.