Abstract
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is inflammatory arthritis from the group of seronegative spondylarthropathies associated with psoriasis. It develops in approximately 15% of the patients with cutaneous psoriasis, but may also occur in patients without cutaneous psoriasis, especially those with positive family history.
Arthritis usually develops in adults aged 30 to 50 years, and its rate of occurrence does not differ between both sexes. Psoriatic arthritis may affect any joint in the body, and persisting inflammatory process in a joint can result in severe joint damage with the consequence of reduced functional abilities and disability of patients.
According to the conception of so-called "psoriatic disease" psoriasis is a systemic disease affecting not only the musculoskeletal system, but other organs as well, e.g. eyes, intestines, cardiovascular system and other. In view of the potential to long-term consequences of untreated or poorly treated PsA, early diagnosis and effective treatment are absolutely necessary.
Dermatologists and rheumatologists play a key role in the identification and treatment of patients with PsA. As a result of the fact that the cutaneous disease can precede arthritic symptoms by up to 12 years dermatologists should focus specifically on the signs of joint damage and refer patients with positive findings to a rheumatologist in time.
Available drugs include non-steroidal antirheumatics, intraarticular glucocorticoids and both conventional and biological disease-modifying drugs.