Psoriatic Arthritis affects patients who also have Psoriasis. This skin condition causes red patches on the skin that are topped with silvery scales. In some patients, Psoriatic Arthritis develops before skin symptoms. More commonly, skin symptoms are expressed before the development of Psoriatic Arthritis.
Both of these conditions are progressive diseases that grow worse over time. The symptoms that a patient experiences at the onset of these conditions will often be much milder than the symptoms experienced later on. The common symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis are:
The common symptoms of Psoriasis are:
The cause of both of these conditions is the body’s immune system attacking healthy cells and tissue. This causes inflammation in the joints and overproduction of skin cells. It is likely that both genetic and environmental factors work together to cause these conditions. Many patients also have a family history of Psoriasis or Psoriatic Arthritis. Physical trauma or viral and bacterial infection can also trigger the expressions of these conditions in those with a family history of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis.
The risk factors for these linked conditions are:
Diagnosis of these conditions requires a physical examination done by your primary care doctor. If the symptoms of either condition or both conditions are present, your doctor will likely order X-rays as well as an MRI to look at the joints and soft tissue structure of the body.
Lab testing for Rheumatoid Factor is usually done as well, and a joint fluid test might be conducted to look for uric acid crystals in the joint fluid. Gout can often mimic the symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis and usually needs to be ruled out in these cases.
It is usually not possible to prevent these conditions. If you have a family history of Psoriasis or Psoriatic Arthritis, you should consider getting tested for the genes that can cause these conditions to develop. Your doctor might also want to monitor you more closely each year for changes to your skin or joint health.
Treatment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis is focused on controlling inflammation in the skin or the affected joints. One of the most common treatments is prescribing disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. NSAIDs can be used to help relieve pain and inflammation, and some biologic agents like Enbrel, Humira, and Cimzia can be used to help control disease processes. Steroid injections can also be used to help improve joint comfort, and some patients will require joint replacement surgery as the damage to specific joints progresses.
These conditions require a lifetime of treatment, and there is no cure for either condition. In some patients, treatment plans change many times over the course of their lifetime as the disease processes advance or cause new symptoms.