It is even possible to have psoriatic arthritis with no skin involvement at all.
Know, too, that psoriasis may look different depending on one’s skin tone.
On the flip side, 85% of people with psoriatic arthritis will also have psoriasis.
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Frequent Symptoms
Psoriatic arthritis symptoms vary from person to person.
On lighter skin, psoriasis looks like red scales.
On darker skin, the discoloration is darker and thicker.
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The differences in appearance can make the condition difficult to diagnose.
By Subtype
The changes in subtype also reflect the progressive nature of the disease.
Inflammation can also occur where a tendon or ligament is inserted into the bone.
This is called enthesitis, and it’s more common in PsA than in most other forms of arthritis.
Fingers and toes are typically affected, as well as larger joints of the hips and knees.
Symmetrical psoriatic arthritis accounts for around 15% of all cases.
It is often preceded by asymmetric disease but may develop symmetrically from the start.
The symmetrical pattern is similar to that of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that directly targets joint tissue.
There arefive subtypes of psoriatic arthritis, each of which is characterized by its location and severity.
Nail changes, including pitting, thickening, and lifting (onycholysis), are also common.
Arthritis Mutilans
Arthritis mutilansis an uncommon but severe form of psoriatic arthritis.
It is characterized by a condition calledenthesitisin which the tissues connecting tendons and ligaments to bone become inflamed.
Arthritis mutilans is believed to affect around 5% of people with psoriatic arthritis.
Psoriatic Spondylitis
Spondylitisrefers to inflammation of the spinal column.
Around 7% to 32% people with psoriatic arthritis will have spondylitis as one of their symptoms.
Earlydiagnosisand treatment are key to bringing the disease under control.
Doing so can help slow disease progression, prevent joint damage, and improve your overall quality of life.
While many internists are capable of managingmild psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis is a far more complicated disease.
With that said, psoriatic arthritis can sometimes develop first or be the sole condition.
However, RA is most often symmetrical, while PsA is more often asymmetrical.
PsA is more likely to cause dactylitis andnail psoriasis.
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