title: Inflammatory joint manifestations are prevalent in psoriasis: prevalence study of joint and axial involvement in psoriatic patients, and evaluation of a psoriatic and arthritic questionnaire.
abstract: To examine the prevalence of inflammatory manifestations, such as peripheral arthritis, axial disease, undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (uSpA) and enthesopathies in patients with psoriasis, and to evaluate a psoriatic and arthritic questionnaire (PAQ) to identify patients with arthritis. Methods. An evaluation of a questionnaire (PAQ) in a hospital- and community-based population of 276 psoriatic patients, and clinical, radiological, and laboratory examination of the 202 patients answering the questionnaire and willing to participate in the subsequent study. Results. Ninety-seven patients (48%) were identified as having, or having had, inflammatory manifestations (peripheral arthritis, axial disease, uSpA, and enthesopathies). Sixty-seven patients (33%) had peripheral arthritis and/or axial disease, 30 of whom had not previously been diagnosed. A total PAQ score of 4 out of 8 was the best cutoff value detecting arthritis with a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 62.2%. A positive answer to the question "Have you ever thought you might have arthritis?" in combination with morning stiffness in peripheral joints for at least 60 min, had a sensitivity of 30% and a specificity of 91.1% and was significantly associated with peripheral arthritis and/or axial disease in multiple logistic regression analysis. Conclusion. We found a high prevalence of inflammatory joint/axial disease in this group of psoriatic patients. Almost half the patients with peripheral arthritis and/or axial disease had not previously been diagnosed. The PAQ did not, either as a total score or by combining questions, discriminate for arthritis in this population with psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gerd-Marie
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Alenius
authors.forename: Berndt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stenberg
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stenlund
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lundblad
authors.forename: Solbritt Rantapää
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Dahlqvist
mesh_terms: D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology