EXPERIMENTAL AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE 20: 47-51, 2020 Psoriatic arthritis: A permanent new challenge for dermatologists (Review) ALINA DINU1*, STEFANA BUCUR1*, RODICA OLTEANU1*, TRAIAN CONSTANTIN2,3*, ANCA RADUCAN4*, MARA BAETU5* and MARIA-MAGDALENA CONSTANTIN1,3* 1Second Department of Dermatology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 20125 Bucharest; 2Department of Urology, ‘Th. Burghele’ Hospital, 50652 Bucharest; 3General Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy ‘Carol Davila’, 050474 Bucharest; 4Dr. Anca Răducan Anti‑Aging Dermatology Clinic, 900705 Constanta; 5‘C.I. Parhon’ National Institute of Endocrinology, 011863 Bucharest, Romania Received September 27, 2019; Accepted October 30, 2019 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.8322 Abstract. Considering that most of the patients (>2/3) are diag- 5. Classification and diagnosis of psoriatic arthropathy nosed with psoriasis in the cutaneous form long before the joint 6. Psoriasis associations with other diseases damage occurs and, in these conditions, a significant proportion 7. Treatment of them is found in the dermatologist's initial records, a ques- 8. Conclusions tion must be asked: when is it necessary to send these patients to a rheumatology consultation? The recognition of psoriatic arthritis in patients with vulgar psoriasis and the dermatologist's 1. Introduction ability to differentiate it from other arthritis, offers the oppor- tunity to improve patient prognosis by prompt intervention and Considering that most of the patients (>2/3) are diagnosed with close collaboration with the rheumatologist. Diagnosis of early psoriasis in the cutaneous form long before the joint damage psoriatic arthropathy should be considered when a patient with occurs and, in these conditions, a significant proportion of psoriasis or family history of psoriasis has peripheral inflam- them is found in the dermatologist's initial records, a question matory arthritis (oligoarthritis or distal interphalangeal joints must be asked: when is it necessary to send these patients to a damage), enthesitis, dactylitis, spinal pain of inflammatory type. rheumatology consultation? Given that patients with psoriasis are included in the dermatolo- Moreover, in the absence of a set of specific criteria for gists' medical records, it is very important to recognize psoriatic the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, the most commonly used arthritis in patients with cutaneous psoriasis, to differentiate method for recognizing and monitoring this condition remains it from other possible arthritis, thus having the possibility to the clinical aspect. improve patient prognosis by prompt intervention and through Thus, the recognition of psoriatic arthritis in patients with collaboration with the rheumatologist. vulgar psoriasis and the dermatologist's ability to differentiate it from other arthritis, offers the opportunity to improve patient prognosis by prompt intervention and close collaboration with Contents the rheumatologist (1). 1. Introduction 2. Materials and methods 2. Materials and methods 3. Spondylarthritis classification As far as psoriatic arthritis is concerned, it can be defined as a 4. General perspectives on psoriatic arthritis seronegative inflammatory arthritis (absent rheumatoid factor) and characterized by the presence of: a) enthesitis, which is the inflammation of the entheses, the mark of psoriatic arthritis, b) dactylitis, which is the diffuse swelling of a finger and can Correspondence to: Dr Stefana Bucur, Second Department of be acute (with painful inflammatory changes) or chronic (the Dermatology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 19‑21 Stefan cel Mare ‘sausage finger’) and it represents the cardinal feature of psori- Street, 20125 Bucharest, Romania atic arthritis, c) axial damage and d) the presence of HLA-B27 E-mail: [email protected] antigen (the prevalence of HLA-B27 in psoriatic arthritis patients ranged from 20 to 35% in some studies) (2). *Contributed equally 3. Spondylarthritis classification Key words: psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, joints pain, enthesitis, dactylitis Classification of spondylarthritis is divided in two major subtypes: a) predominantly peripheral spondylarthritis, which 48 DINU et al: PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: A PERMANENT NEW CHALLENGE FOR DERMATOLOGISTS includes: arthritis associated with previous acute uveitis, psori- ‘sausage finger’ or asymmetric dactylitis. Metacarpophalangeal atic arthritis, reactive arthritis (Reiter), juvenile idiopathic and metatarsophalangeal joints may be affected, but also the arthritis, arthritis associated with intestinal inflammatory damage to the knee, tibiotarsal and radiocarpal joints may diseases and undifferentiated spondylarthritis and b) predomi- occur; b) Psoriatic arthritis is the second subtype presented nantly axial spondylarthritis, with ankylosing spondylitis (3). and the most frequent onset manifestation, having multiple Under these conditions, psoriatic arthropathy is considered a similarities with rheumatoid arthritis, for example, symmetry peripheral spondylarthritis associated with HLA-B27 antigen. and the damage to small joints. There are several elements that Classification criteria for predominantly peripheral spon- differentiate them, therefore, psoriatic arthritis is characterized dylarthritis apply to subjects who at the time of examination by radiocubitocarpal and distal interphalangeal injury, evolu- have at least one of these affections: arthritis, enthesitis or tionary conversion and the subsequent damage is limited to a dactylitis. If the patient meets one of these three features, few joints; c) Distal interphalangeal arthritis, which is associ- then he or she must at least have one feature from Group A ated with nail psoriasis lesions; d) Arthritis mutilans, which is or at least two features from Group B. ASAS criteria for a rare form as a manifestation of the onset of the disease. It is classification of peripheral spondylarthritis can be seen in an extensive osteolytic form of phalanges, usually the distal Fig. 1 (4). ones; e) Spondyloarthropathy, which associates sacroiliitis and spinal cord injury with oligoarticular peripheral arthritis, not 4. General perspectives on psoriatic arthritis forgetting that sacroiliitis is unilateral and the evolution in this case is unfavorable, especially in males (12). From an epidemiological point of view, psoriatic arthritis occurs However, the Moll and Wright criteria are not sufficient in 6-24% of patients with vulgar psoriasis, predominantly for an early and accurate diagnosis of psoriatic arthropathy. similar in males and females, with onset at 35-45 years (5,6). Over the years, a set of criteria as specific as possible for the It is of interest to mention that 70% of cases of skin diagnosis and classification of psoriatic arthropathy has been psoriasis precede joint damage, there is a simultaneous debut attempted, these trials have culminated with the publication in 10-15% of cases and in 15% of cases, arthritis precedes in 2006 of CASPAR Criteria (Criteria for Classification of cutaneous damage. Regarding children, arthritis precedes the Psoriatic Arthropathy (13). Thus, in order to meet CASPAR occurrence of skin psoriasis in >50% of cases, with female sex criteria, a patient should present inflammatory arthritis (at being more frequently affected (7). the peripheral joints, spinal damage or enthesis damage) Nail lesions are very common and help distinguish and at least three of the following: a) Psoriasis at the time between patients who have psoriatic arthritis and those who of examination; personal history of psoriasis (if there are no have rheumatoid arthritis and between patients with psoriasis current injuries); family history of psoriasis in first or second who have arthritis and those who do not have arthritis. Nail degree relatives (if there are no current lesions or personal lesions occur in about 40-45% of patients with psoriasis history of psoriasis); b) Nail changes (pitting, onycholysis, uncomplicated by arthritis and ~87% of patients with psoriatic hyperkeratosis); c) The absence of rheumatoid factor; arthritis (8). Although the etiology of psoriatic arthritis has d) Dactylitis ‑ swelling of a finger; e) Juxta‑articular bone not been fully elucidated, we would like to mention the role neoformation (except osteophytes). of beta blockers which are a widely used class of medication. Thus, an early diagnosis of psoriatic arthropathy is difficult Their use in dermatology has garnered growing interest with to achieve also due to very different clinical manifestations. the discovery of their therapeutic effects in the treatment Also, articular inflammation may be clinically silent (it is of haemangiomas, their potential positive effects in wound sometimes detected when articular destruction is clinically or healing, Kaposi sarcoma, melanoma and pyogenic granuloma, imaging evident) and, furthermore, no clinical, immunohisto- and, more recently, pemphigus. However, like any other drug chemical or genetic specific marker has been identified so far category, they carry risks of side effects, some of which are to indicate patients with psoriasis that will develop inflamma- dermatologic. These include triggering and exacerbation of tory arthritis (Table I). psoriasis, psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis, anaphylaxis, contact dermatitis, occupational contact dermatitis, Raynaud's 6. Psoriasis associations with other diseases disease, alopecia, lichen planus-like drug eruption, hyperhi- drosis and vitiligo (9,10). Psoriasis can be associated with any other spondyloarthrop-