Arthropathy and sacro-iliitis in severe psoriasis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Dermatology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with known associations to joint complications.
• Understanding the spectrum and interrelation of these joint manifestations is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency and associations of various joint affections in hospitalized psoriasis patients.
• To determine if radiological sacroiliitis impacts spinal mobility in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Prospective examination of 50 consecutive adult patients hospitalized for psoriasis.
• Assessment included evaluation for low back pain, large joint arthropathy, phalangeal joint arthropathy, radiological sacroiliitis, chest expansion, and spinal mobility.

Main Results:

• Frequent findings included low back pain (18-28%), large joint arthropathy (18-28%), phalangeal joint arthropathy (18-28%), and radiological sacroiliitis (18-28%).
• Low back pain at night and large joint arthropathy were positively associated.
• Peripheral arthropathy and radiological sacroiliitis were associated.
• No significant reduction in chest expansion or spinal mobility was observed in patients with radiological sacroiliitis.
• Four patients (8%) were diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.

Conclusions:

• The various joint manifestations in psoriatic patients are only partly related.
• Psoriatic arthritis presents with diverse symptoms, requiring individualized assessment and management strategies.