What Is Psoriatic Arthritis?

By jolene

Reviewed: Dr. Mera

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Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic and inflammatory condition that develops in about 5% of patients with psoriasis. Although a link between psoriasis and arthritis was made in the mid-19th century, it was not clinically distinguished from rheumatoid arthritis until the 1960s.

As the name suggests, psoriatic arthritis affects the joints and entheses (connective tissue between bone and ligament or tendon). Psoriatic arthritis may also affect the nails and skin with other associated features such as osteitis, uveitis, and dactylitis. Ninety-five percent of patients with psoriatic arthritis experience peripheral joint disease while axial spine involvement occurs in the other 5%.