What is psoriatic athritis?

Arthropathy psoriasis or psoriatic
arthritis is the association of psoriasis skin lesions with damaged
joints.

According to medical statistics, psoriatic
arthritis affects approximately 7% of patients with psoriasis, with an approximately
equal sex distribution and most commonly, it occures between 30-50
years.

Psoriatic arthritis can occur anytime during the
development of psoriasis, usually occurs after about 5 to 10 years after the first signs
of psoriasis, but there are rare situations when lesions of psoriasis and psoriatic
arthritis occure in the same time, or very rare cases when psoriatic arthritis precedes
psoriasis lesions for years.

In general, psoriasis
arthropathy is affecting the small joints of the hands and / or legs (fist, heel) but it
can affect any joint, including the large joints (knees, elbows, etc.) or the backbone.
Symptoms of psoriasis arthropathy consist of  pain of joints, both at rest and in
motion, swelling of joints and soft tissues surrounding joints, reduced range of motions
of the joints.

Many patients with psoriasis arthropathy,
between 75 and 80%, have significant nail damages, with lesions which are typical of
nail psoriasis.