A Prospective Cohort Study of Psoriatic Arthritis Prevalence in a Serbian Patients with Psoriasis

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthropathy and to point out the problem of their occurrence in a sample of patients diagnosed with psoriasis. Methods: 109 patients with diagnosed psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy, took part in the survey. The average age of patients was 48,85±10,11. We analyzed the incidence and prevalence of the psoriatic arthropathy occurrence for the patients with psoriasis. Results: Psoriatic arthropathy registered with patients were those with arthritic changes on: sacroiliac joints with 24 (22,02%) patients, 19 (79,17%) male and 5 (20,83%) female (p<0,001); spine with 11 (10,09%) patients, 6 (54,56%) male and 5 (45,45%) female (p=0,578); peripheral joints with 74 (67,89%) patients, 33 (44,59%) male and 41 (55,41%) female (p<0,01). When comparing the symptoms, most of the patients (63,30%) skin changes were represented before arthritis, for 27,52% patients arthritis preceded the skin changes, and for 9,17% patients the changes were simultaneous, Conclusion: Psoriatic arthropathy occurs more often in median age (31 to 50 years old) and it is more common for men than women. For most patient’s psoriatic skin changes preceded joints affection, with the most common ones being polyarthritis.