Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis
Other namesArthritis psoriatica, arthropathic psoriasis, psoriatic arthropathy
Severe psoriatic arthritis of both feet and ankles. There is also damage to the nails.
SpecialtyRheumatology

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a long-term inflammatory arthritis that occurs in people affected by the autoimmune disease psoriasis.[1][2] The classic feature of psoriatic arthritis is swelling of entire fingers and toes with a sausage-like appearance ("sausage digit").[3] This often happens in association with damage to the nails such as small depressions in the nail (pitting), thickening of the nails, and detachment of the nail from the nailbed.[3] Skin damage consistent with psoriasis (e.g., red, scaly, and itchy plaques) frequently occur before the onset of psoriatic arthritis but psoriatic arthritis can precede the rash in 15% of affected individuals.[3] It is classified as a type of seronegative spondyloarthropathy.

Genetics are thought to be strongly involved in the development of psoriatic arthritis.[3] Obesity and certain forms of psoriasis are thought to increase the risk.[3]

Psoriatic arthritis affects up to 30% of people with psoriasis and occurs in both children and adults.[3] Approximately 40–50% of individuals with psoriatic arthritis have the HLA-B*27 genotype.[3] The condition is less common in people of Asian or African descent and affects men and women equally.[3]

  1. ^ Freedberg, Irwin M., Fitzpatrick, Thomas B. (2003). Fitzpatrick's dermatology in general medicine (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 427–436. ISBN 978-0-07-138076-8.
  2. ^ James, William, Berger, Timothy, Elston, Dirk (2005). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (10th ed.). Saunders. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7216-2921-6.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Ritchlin CT, Colbert RA, Gladman DD (March 2017). "Psoriatic Arthritis". New England Journal of Medicine (Review). 376 (10): 957–70. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1505557. PMID 28273019. S2CID 43867408.

Developed by StudentB