Psoriatic Arthritis: A Comprehensive Update for Dermatologists with Review of Literature

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), an inflammatory seronegative spondyloarthropathy is the most common co-morbidity of psoriasis (PsO), in almost 30% of cases. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of PsA may result in irreversible joint damage, significant morbidity, impaired quality of life, and several cardiometabolic and cerebrovascular co-morbidities. Dermatologists are uniquely privileged to be able to diagnose latent PsA at an early stage, as almost 80% of these patients present with pre-existing cutaneous PsO. This review provides a detailed overview of PsA along with its salient clinical features, classification criteria, screening tools, simple physical examination maneuvers, imaging findings, and therapeutic options to acquaint dermatologists and other clinicians with this morbid musculoskeletal disorder. We hope to generate awareness about this condition among dermatologists to enable proactive screening of all PsO patients for early diagnosis, initiation of appropriate treatment, and prompt referral to a rheumatologist; thus, helping to arrest PsA disease progression, irreversible joint damage, and subsequent permanent disability.