Psoriatic Arthritis Prognosis

Psoriatic arthritis is characterized by a condition in which both psoriasis and arthritis occur at the same time. It is also referred to as arthritis psoriatica or arthropathic psoriasis. As we all are aware, psoriasis is a common skin disorder that causes red scaly patches. In majority of the cases, psoriasis develops before the onset of arthritis symptoms, whereas in a few instances, skin lesions are observed after being diagnosed with arthritis. Overall, about 10 - 20 percent of people having psoriasis suffer from psoriatic arthritis. Though psoriatic arthritis can affect children, most patients suffering from this condition are in the age group of 30 - 50.

Regarding psoriatic arthritis causes, there is no reliable clinical data. However, medical researchers are of the opinion that genetic factors and immune responses play a major role in the development of this inflammatory disease. The most noticeable psoriatic arthritis symptoms include joint pain, inflammation, swelling, stiffness and redness in and around the affected joint area. At times, symptoms resemble that of rheumatoid arthritis. In some patients, this type of arthritis basically involves the knees and ankles.

Psoriatic Arthritis Prognosis: Overview

In general, psoriatic arthritis prognosis is very difficult. This is because, the manifested symptoms and/or disease conditions vary from one individual to another. Considering this, psoriatic arthritis prognosis depends on various factors. Following are some of the factors that are taken into consideration for prognosis of psoriatic arthritis.

Joint Damage
One of the most important factors for psoriatic arthritis prognosis is examination of the joints. It is opined that more the number of joints are affected in an individual, the worst will be the prognosis of psoriatic arthritis. In such a case, a patient may experience severe pain, bone destruction and at times, fusing of joints. Onset of erosive or polyarticular disease is also an indication of a worse psoriatic arthritis prognosis.

Role of Skin and Nails
The severity of the skin and nail problems is examined for prognosis of psoriatic arthritis. A worst prognosis is predicted for patients having significant skin problems. Very often, individuals with psoriatic arthritis show nail thickening and deformities to some extent.

Age Factor
If psoriatic arthritis is manifested at a younger age, then the chances of a worse prognosis are very high. In simpler terms, if the patient is below 20 years, he/she tends to develop severe psoriatic arthritis condition.

Gender
Severe prognosis of psoriatic arthritis is predicted in women than in male patients. Women are likely to develop acute joint deformities, whereas in men, psoriatic arthritis may usually manifest as inflammatory symptoms.

Genetic Factor
Psoriatic arthritis prognosis can be serious, if a patient has a family history of this inflammatory condition. Also, if genetic testing shows the expression of specific genes, namely, HLA-DR3, HLA-DR4 and HLA-B27, then the patient tends to develop severe psoriatic arthritis.

Features that reveal relatively good psoriatic arthritis prognosis include less damage to the joints, remission of some of the symptoms and positive results in functional tests. While speaking about the long-term prognosis of psoriatic arthritis, it is opined that most patients will have arthritis problems throughout their life. To be precise, remissions are very rare, which occurs in only about 10 - 20 percent of patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriatic Arthritis: Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis is done based on the symptoms, physical examination (particularly skin and joints) along with laboratory imaging tests. In addition, the doctor may conduct blood tests in order to rule out other health conditions. Rise in the ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and CRP (C-reactive protein) reading is an indication of the severity of inflammation.

It is to be noted that there is no effective cure for psoriatic arthritis. Nevertheless, timely diagnosis and treatment help in combating the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. As inflammation is the major medical problem associated with psoriatic arthritis, treatment is primarily focused on controlling and lowering tissue inflammation. The physician may prescribe healthy lifestyle habits, including mild exercises and psoriatic arthritis diet menu.

Psoriatic arthritis prognosis, if done properly, will help in determining the severity of the condition and future complications (if any). There is no doubt that psoriatic arthritis is a chronic condition. But on the brighter side, the painful symptoms and further damage to the joints can be kept under control by administration of certain medications and implementation of healthy habits.