Psoriatic arthritis in British and Italian patients: a comparative clinical, radiologic, and scintigraphic study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the similarities and differences in pattern and severity of clinical expression of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in British and Italian patients.


METHODS
Detailed clinical data were obtained on 48 British patients with PsA and compared with the data of 48 Italian patients. A systematic evaluation of joints, spine, and skin was performed. Forty-one British and 42 Italian patients also underwent a whole body bone scintigram. Radiographic details of hands and wrists were also taken.


RESULTS
The Italian patients did not differ from their British counterparts with respect to duration of arthritis, sex, clinical subgroups, axial involvement, number of tender and swollen joints, or radiographic score. However, significant differences were found with respect to age, duration of psoriasis, number of joints with deformity and/or loss of function, number of affected joints, and number of "active" joints on scintigraphy, which were all higher in the British group. After correction for age, duration of arthritis, and duration of psoriasis the only significant difference was the number of affected joints.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that British patients with PsA are more severely affected than a matched cohort of Italian patients.
Marchesoni
A
A
Rheumatology Department, G. Pini Orthopaedic Institute, Milan, Italy.
Helliwell
P
P
Gallazzi
M
M
Gibertini
P
P
Rossetti
A
A
Galli
L
L
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*; D001175:Arthrography; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology