View article

Background: Psoriatic arthritis is defined as an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis and is classified as a seronegative HLA-B27-associated spondyloarthropathy. We aimed to study the clinical and paraclinical presentations of psoriatic arthritis in 150 Iranian patients.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and paraclinical data obtained from 150 patients enrolled in a retro-and introspective study were analyzed.

Results: The female: male ratio was 1.11: 1. The mean age at the onset of arthritis was 33.3 years. Arthritis occurred after psoriasis in 73%, preceded it in 17%, and simultaneously in 10% of the patients. The patterns of joint involvement were asymmetric oligoarthritis (46%), polyarthritis (5%), axial involvement (16%), distal interphalangeal joint involvement (23%), and mutilating arthritis (2.2%). There was no correlation between distal interphalangeal joint involvement and nail disease (P= 0.33). Polyarthritis was more common in women (P= 0.03) and axial involvement was more in men (P= 0.02). Patients with spondylitis were younger at the disease onset (P< 0.02).