Introduction to psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy associated with psoriasis that predominantly affects peripheral joints. It affects 0.04 to 0.1% of the population and typically presents in young to middle-aged adults. Males and females are equally affected.

The reported prevalence of inflammatory arthritis in people with psoriasis varies from 6 to 42%. In about 67% of people, psoriasis is present before the onset of the arthropathy, whereas in approximately 15% of people the arthritis precedes the skin disease by more than one year.

Psoriatic arthritis is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseaseAgca, 2017Ogdie, 2015.

Refer all people with suspected psoriatic arthritis to an appropriate specialist for accurate diagnosis and initiation of treatment.

For psoriatic arthritis in children, see Psoriatic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

For general information on the spectrum of spondyloarthritis diseases, see Overview of spondyloarthritis.