Genital Psoriasis Consensus Offers Age-Specific Roadmap for Clinical Care

Key Takeaways

• New expert consensus guidance provides age-specific recommendations for diagnosing and managing genital psoriasis across pediatric, adult, and older populations.
• The guidance emphasizes routine genital assessment, stigma-reducing communication, and individualized treatment approaches.
• Experts say improved recognition and earlier diagnosis may help address a frequently overlooked manifestation of psoriasis with substantial quality-of-life impact.

A new expert consensus manuscript in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology offered recommendations aimed at improving the diagnosis and management of genital psoriasis, according to a press release from Arcutis.

The publication represents the second manuscript, Arcutis said, from the Genital Psoriasis Wellness Consortium, a multidisciplinary group of US-based clinicians focused on advancing awareness and care for patients with genital psoriasis. According to the Consortium, genital involvement occurs in more than 60% of individuals with psoriasis at some point during the course of their disease.

“Genital psoriasis is one of the most impactful, yet consistently overlooked, manifestations of psoriatic disease. Although it will affect the majority of individuals with psoriasis at some point in their lives, genital psoriasis remains vastly under diagnosed because clinicians aren't routinely asking and patients are hesitant to bring it up due to its sensitive nature,” said Michael J. Payette, MD, MBA, FAAD, Dermatologist at Central Connecticut Dermatology, Associate Clinical Professor at UConn Health, Genital Psoriasis Consortium member, and manuscript lead author, said in the press release. “Our consensus work represents a 'call to action' and an important step forward, giving clinicians a comprehensive, age-specific roadmap to approach genital psoriasis with the same rigor they bring to every other aspect of dermatologic care. It has the potential to meaningfully direct the course of outcomes for individuals with genital psoriasis who have gone either undiagnosed or untreated for far too long.”

The recommendations were developed through a modified Delphi process involving multidisciplinary experts and used a consensus threshold of at least 75% agreement. Unlike previous guidance organized around broader themes, the new publication structures recommendations according to patient age groups, including pediatric, adult, and older populations, to provide clinicians with more practical guidance for real-world care.

Focus on Earlier Recognition and Individualized Care

The Consortium recommended incorporating routine genital assessments into comprehensive skin examinations, obtaining verbal consent before examinations, using stigma-reducing communication strategies, and offering chaperones for minors when appropriate. The guidance also emphasized age-specific treatment considerations and reinforces minimizing long-term topical corticosteroid use while considering nonsteroidal therapies when appropriate.

“By raising awareness of genital psoriasis and providing guidance across different age groups, these recommendations can help support earlier diagnosis, improve engagement and adherence, and ultimately deliver more personalized and effective dermatologic care,” said Patrick Burnett, MD, PhD, FAAD, chief medical officer of Arcutis, in the press release. “When treatment plans are tailored to the individual and simplified wherever possible, patients are more likely to stay engaged in their care and achieve better outcomes. That belief is central to Arcutis’ ongoing commitment to advancing education and helping establish more thoughtful, personalized standards of care for high-impact dermatologic conditions across all ages.”

Source

Arcutis press release. June 3, 2026.