Introduction: Plaque-type psoriasis affects the genital area in 7-42% of patients, and can impose significant quality of life (QoL) impairments. In this case, systemic treatment is recommended regardless of the affected body surface area. This real-world study compared treatment effects and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between patients with and without genital lesions, undergoing apremilast treatment for 6 ± 1 months.
Methods: Secondary analyses were conducted using data from the observational, retrospective, cross-sectional APPRECIATE study. Adult patients with plaque-type psoriasis who initiated apremilast during the previous 6 ± 1 months were consecutively recruited in seven European countries between May 2016 and November 2019. At the time of study inclusion (T1), clinical and PROs were assessed by physician/patient questionnaires. Baseline data were collected retrospectively from medical records.
Results: This study included 482 patients: 108 with genital psoriasis (GenPso+) and 374 without genital lesions (GenPso-). The GenPso+ group had higher disease burden at baseline. For patients receiving ongoing treatment at T1, there was significant improvement in disease severity and marginally significant improvement in QoL impairments, independent of genital involvement. Satisfaction with medication and patient benefits also did not differ between groups.
Conclusion: This study further established the value of apremilast as a systemic treatment for patients with psoriasis, including those with genital involvement.
Trial registration: The APPRECIATE study was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ with the number NCT02740218.
Keywords: Apremilast; Genital psoriasis; Patient Benefit Index; Sex-related needs and benefits; Treatment satisfaction.
© 2025. The Author(s).