METHODS: PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and grey literature databases (BASE, MediGraphic and PDF Search Engine) were searched for publications in English, Spanish or Portuguese at January 21^st

RESULTS: Out of 565 records, 317 unique records met the predetermined inclusion criteria. The estimated age-standardized prevalence of psoriasis for these countries ranged from 1.27% to 1.56%. Concerning the prevalence of moderate/severe psoriasis, no epidemiology studies were identified. Prevalence estimations came from single-centre studies with heterogeneity in study samples and severity classifications, data varied between 19% (Mexico) and 90% (Argentina). Treatment forms varied per country and institution being most prevalent topical therapy (22%-100%) and conventional systemic therapy (32%-62%) whereas few used biological therapy (2%-12%). The most frequent co-morbid disorders were obesity, metabolic and cardiovascular problems, and anxiety and depression. Impact in terms of health related quality of life was higher than in other dermatological diseases. Most cost analyses focused on the cost-effectiveness of treatment interventions. A cost-of-illness study from Colombia found that total annual cost per patient was $12,595 for private practice and $10,895 for the public sector.

CONCLUSIONS: The burden of psoriasis in Latin America is large. However, evidence is still scarce and more studies are needed to evaluate the full cost and impact of the disorder in Latin American countries.