PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

Course overview

PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS (PSA) IS CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH PSORIASIS (PSO) AND FOUND IN ABOUT 20 TO 30% OF SUCH PATIENTS. IT SHARES MANY CLINICAL FEATURES WITH OTHER SPONDYLOARTHROPATHIES AND ALSO RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). IT IS USUALLY SERONEGATIVE, BUT A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS MAY BE POSITIVE FOR RHEUMATOID FACTOR (RF) AND ANTI-CYCLIC CITRULLINATED PEPTIDE ANTIBODIES (ANTI-CCP ANTIBODIES). THE CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS ARE VARIED AND CAN CHANGE OVER TIME, EVOLVING FROM ONE ARTICULAR PATTERN TO ANOTHER. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS RELATED TO THE PATHOGENESIS, EPIDEMIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND MANAGEMENT OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DIFFERENT FACETS OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS.