[Functional impairment in psoriatic arthritis. Multicentric study of 343 patients].
OBJECTIVE
The study is aimed at improving our knowledge about the functional impairment of the psoriatic arthritis through a multicentral series.


METHODS
We have designed a transversal and multicentral study (centers of the same geographical area), including 343 patients with psoriatic arthritis. Eight medical centers have participated. Patients have been divided depending on the assistential level where they are visited. We have collected the following data: sex, age, assistential level, duration of psoriasis and arthritis, age at onset of psoriasis and arthritis, clinical form, ARA functional impairment, number of tender and swollen joints, presence of dactylitis, distal interphalangeal affection, axial involvement, ostheolisis or nail lesions, erithrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, hemoglobine, leucocites, platelets, HLA-B27 and rheumatoid factor.


RESULTS
7.14% of the patients were significatly disabled (ARA functional class III and IV). 30.32% were patients visited in a primary assistential level, 30.90% in a secondary assistential level and 38.78% a tertiary and universitary hospital. We found statistically significant correlation between III and IV functional classes and age, assistential level, ostheolisis, corticoid treatment, ESR, leucocites, platelets and number of tender joints.


CONCLUSIONS
We find a better functional capacity in our patients than in other studies. The inclusion of patients from different assistential levels instead of just patients visited in a tertiary hospital might be the cause of this difference.
Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España. deliareinasanz@yahoo.com
Delia
D
Reina Sanz
Jordi
J
del Blanco
Maria
M
Bonet
Carmen
C
Castaño
Teresa
T
Clavaguera
Lourdes
L
Mateo
Daniel
D
Roig Vilaseca
José M
JM
Ruiz
Jesús
J
Rodríguez Moreno
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged