title: Clinical characteristics of psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis in dermatologists' offices.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA. agottlieb@tufts-nemc.org
authors.forename: Alice B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mease
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mark Jackson
authors.forename: Drore
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amy Xia
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asare
authors.forename: Seth R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept