Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (also arthropathic psoriasis or psoriatic arthropathy) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects around 5-7% (according to the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine) of people suffering from chronic psoriasis on the skin. It's called being a Psoriatic Arthritis espondiáloartropatia seronegative and occurs more commonly in patients with tissue type HLA-B27. The treatment of psoriatic arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis. More than 80% of patients with psoriatic arthritis lesions will psoríticas nail, characterized by its ginning, or greater than, the loss of the nail itself (onicoliose).

Psoriatic arthritis can occur at any age, but on average tends to appear about 10 years after the first signs of psoriasis. For most people this is between the ages of 30 and 50, but can also affect children. Men and women are equally affected by this condition. In approximately one in seven cases, the symptoms of arthritis may occur before any skin involvement.

Also causes inflammation in the joints and can cause tendonitis.

Diagnosis

During the medical examination are identified and examined skin lesions (psoriasis) and joints.

The doctor may find it convenient to use the Imaging, for example: X-ray of affected joints, scintigraphy or tomography computodorizada.

Laboratory values ​​that can help diagnose:

• Rheumatoid factor generally negative

• sedimentation rate can be increased

• C-reactive protein may be increased

• Complete blood count may reveal anemia Chronic Disease

Treatment

The process underlying psoriatic arthritis and inflammation are then directed treatments for reducing and controlling inflammation. NSAIDs such as diclofenac and naproxen are usually the first medicines.

Other treatment options for this disease include the use of corticosteroids, including injection into the joint - this is only practical if only a few joints are affected.

Some authors consider however corticosteroids and drugs to avoid because they can increase the frequency of episodes of Psoriasis.

If it is not achieved acceptable control using NSAIDs or injections into the joint then treatments with immunosuppressants such as methotrexate is added to the treatment regimen. One advantage is that immunosuppressive therapy is also well psoriasis arthropathy. However, the side effects of these drugs make the patient compliance with this therapy is low. About half of the patients interrupts 2-5 years in the therapy due to adverse effects.

Recently, a new class of therapeutic developed using recombinant DNA technology called inhibitors Tumor necrosis factor-alpha come available, for example, infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab. These are becoming commonly used but are usually reserved for more severe cases.