Epidemiology of Psoriatic Arthritis
The rate of inflammatory arthritis in the general population is 2%-3%, while it ranges between 6%-42% in patients with psoriasis.11398
Few descriptive epidemiological studies of psoriatic arthritis in the general population had been conducted prior to 2000, and those were limited to prevalence studies from Sweden, Zoetermeer (the Netherlands), and the Faroe Islands (Denmark). Since then, several studies evaluating the incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthritis have been identified. One of these, a literature review by Alamanos, et al., revealed very low incidence rates of the disease in Japan (0.1 cases/105 population), with similarly low incidence rates in some European countries (a rate of 3.0 cases /105 population in Greece and 8 cases/105 population in Sweden). One of 2 studies conducted in Finland found an incidence rate of 6.1 cases/105 population, while the other revealed a rate as high as 23.1 cases/105 population.11400 Despite differences in both diagnosis and classification of the disease, the expected prevalence of psoriatic arthritis ranges between 0.10 percent and 0.45 percent, nearly 50% less than the prevalence of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis.11421
Psoriatic arthritis can develop at any age, but typically develops about 10 years after the onset of psoriasis. The age of onset is generally between 25 and 45 years.11421, 11650 There is an increased likelihood of developing destructive arthritis in those who develop psoriatic arthritis in childhood or early adulthood. Although psoriatic arthritis is predominant in females in early childhood, males and females are equally affected in adulthood. A similar pattern is seen with psoriasis. In contrast, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) predominantly affects females, with a 3:1 ratio compared to males.11421, 11396
Psoriatic arthritis is 1 of a heterogeneous group of diseases known as the seronegative spondyloarthropathies, which are characterized by inflammatory axial spine involvement (e.g., sacroiliitis and spondylitis), asymmetric peripheral arthritis, enthesopathy, inflammatory eye disease, and overlapping mucocutaneous features that generally occur in the absence of serum rheumatoid factor.11651 Although the etiology of psoriatic arthritis remains unknown, genetic and environmental risk factors have been associated with the development of the disease, including trauma and infection.11652
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References:| 11396. | Bennett RM. Psoriatic arthritis. In: Koopman WJ, Moreland LW, eds. Arthritis and Allied Conditions . 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2005:1357-1374. |
| 11398. | Gladman DD, Antoni C, Mease P, Clegg DO, Nash P. Psoriatic arthritis: epidemiology, clinical features, course, and outcome. Ann Rheum Dis . 2005;64(Suppl 2):ii14-ii17. |
| 11400. | Alamanos Y, Voulgari PV, Drosos AA. Incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review. J Rheumatol . 2008;35(7):1354-1358. |
| 11421. | Winchester R. Psoriatic arthritis. In: Wolff K, Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffell DJ, eds. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine . 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2008:194-207. |
| 11650. | National Psoriasis Foundation. About psoriatic arthritis: the basics. National Psoriasis Foundation website. http://www.psoriasis.org/about/psa/basics.php . Updated October 2005. Accessed December 9, 2008. |
| 11651. | Reveille JD. Seronegative spondyloarthropathies. In: Klippel JH, Crofford LJ, Stone JH, Weyand CM, eds. Primer on the Rheumatic Diseases . 12th ed. Atlanta, GA: Arthritis Foundation; 2001:239-245. |
| 11652. | O’Neill T, Silman AJ. Psoriatic arthritis. Historical background and epidemiology. Baillières Clin Rheumatol . 1994;8(2):245-261. |
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