Psoriatic arthritis
Diagnosing psoriatic arthritis
If your doctor thinks you may have arthritis, they should refer youtoa rheumatologist (a specialist in joint conditions) for an assessment.
The British Association of Dermatologists website has information on the psoriasis epidemiology screening tool (PEST) (PDF, 209kb) . This is a questionnaire you may be asked to fill out, which helps your doctor decide if you need a referral. People with psoriasis should be asked to fill this out annually.
Arheumatologist will usually be able to diagnose psoriatic arthritis if you have psoriasis and problems with your joints.
They'll also try to rule out other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis .
A number of tests may be carried out to help confirm a diagnosis, including:
- blood tests to check for signs of inflammation in your body and the presence of certain antibodies found in other types of arthritis
- X-rays or scans of your joints
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis that develops in some people with the skin condition psoriasis
Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis
The pain, swelling and stiffness associated with psoriatic arthritiscan affect any joint in the body, but the condition often affects the hands, feet, knees, neck, spine and elbows. The severity of t
When to seek medical advice
Seeyour GP if you experience persistent pain, swelling or stiffness in your joints even if you haven't been diagnosed with psoriasis. If you've been diagnosed with psoriasis, you should have check-u
Causes of psoriatic arthritis
Between one and two in every five people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis. It usually develops within 10 years of psoriasis being diagnosed, although some people may experience problems wit
Diagnosing psoriatic arthritis
If your doctor thinks you may have arthritis, they should refer youtoa rheumatologist (a specialist in joint conditions) for an assessment. The British Association of Dermatologists website has infor
Treating psoriatic arthritis
The main aims of treatment will be to relieve your symptoms, slow the progression of the condition and improve your quality of life. For most people, this involves trying a number of different medica
Managing related conditions
As with psoriasis and other types of inflammatory arthritis, you may be more likely to get some otherconditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) if you have psoriatic arthritis. CVD isthe termf
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