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There psoriasis, despite being a dermatological disease, sometimes it is not limited to affecting only the skin. In some cases it can also affect the joints, giving way to the so-called arthropathic psoriasis or psoriatic arthropathy.
What is arthropathic psoriasis
On average, almost one in three sufferers can experience this pathological form that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. The clinical picture can be very diverse. They range from forms that affect different joints with typical discomfort of rheumatic diseases up to conditions that make one suspect rheumatoid arthritis or even very limited localizations to the phalanges of the fingers. Then there are more serious situations in which psoriatic arthropathy can represent a difficulty for movement.
Diagnosis and testing
For the diagnosis it is always necessary to consult a doctor because specific investigations are needed that allow to ascertain the damage to the joints and possibly confirm the link between the alterations of the articular cartilage and the skin disease.
Among the most frequently performed tests under these conditions are the classics radiographic examinations but also the ultrasound. Extremely important is the framing of the situation under the rheumatological aspect through blood test that allow to understand the origin of the condition.
It is important to perform these tests, because, in very general terms, arthropathic psoriasis is somehow part of seronegative arthritis, which means that the presence in the blood of typical markers of rheumatic diseases is not linked.
In summary, psoriasis sometimes attacks the joints as well. The form of psoriatic arthropathy is of particular interest people between 30 and 50 years old, is not very frequent and indicates a more general involvement of the immune system. The lesions can be painful and red, sometimes multiple. Do not forget that there can be nail problems and in more rare cases localized eye inflammation.
To follow the daily Health Pill “Arthropathic Psoriasis”, click and listen here
“Daily Health Pills” is the podcast series by DiLei TakeCare, curated by Federico Mereta. In each episode we talk about prevention, care and good habits.
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