Clinical characteristics of psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis in dermatologists' offices.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the skin and joint disease of patients with psoriatic arthritis being treated in dermatology clinics.


METHODS
A total of 1122 patients who had active psoriatic arthritis were enrolled in a Phase 4, non-randomized, open-label, single-arm, 24-week study. They were treated at 108 community and 17 academic dermatology centers. These patients experienced clinically stable, plaque psoriasis involving > or =10% body surface area and joint disease (either > or = two swollen and > or = two tender/painful joints for > or =3 months, or > or = one joint with sacroiliitis or spondylitis).


RESULTS
In general, patient demographics and disease characteristics did not appear to differ between academic and community dermatology sites. Based on patient-reported assessments, patients rated the severity of their baseline joint symptoms lower than the severity of their skin disease. Baseline skin and joint disease measures were not correlated. Psoriatic arthritis was newly diagnosed in 23% of the patients. Most had received prior therapy for psoriasis, but only half had received systemic therapy for psoriatic arthritis.


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment for joint disease in psoriasis patients being treated at dermatology clinics may facilitate earlier psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and treatment initiation, which may prevent disability and other negative impacts.
Gottlieb
Alice B
AB
Department of Dermatology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA. agottlieb@tufts-nemc.org
Mease
Philip J
PJ
Mark Jackson
J
J
Eisen
Drore
D
Amy Xia
H
H
Asare
Charles
C
Stevens
Seth R
SR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017327:Clinical Trials, Phase IV as Topic; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014481:United States
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept