Investigation of the Development of ArticularDamage in Psoriatic Arthritis Radiological Evaluation

Overview

The objective of the paper is an analysis of radiological findings in a group of 115 patients withpsoriatic arthritis, followed up in the Institute of Rheumatology, and comparison with the availableliterature. The paper is a continuation of the publication on the clinical characteristics of the samegroup (1). Radiological damage of at least one joint was present in 71 % patients, the mean numberof radiologically damaged joints per patient was 5.6 (0–31), 66 % patients had radiological affectionsof the terminal phalangi. X-ray sacroiliitis was present in 22 % patients, X-ray spondylosis in 60 %.25 % patients were in X-ray stage I according to Steinbrocker, 39 % stage II, 19 % stage III and 17 %stage IV. The absence of articular damage (stage 1) was encountered more frequently on clinicalexamination (ca 60 %), while on X-ray examination a negative finding was encountered only in 30 %.In more advanced states radiological damage always predominated over clinical damage. This wasparticularly striking in stage 4 (more than 10 damaged joints). Radiological damage of peripheraljoints signalizes progression of the disease sooner than clinical examination and is therefore animportant parameter in investigations of the patient and for decisions on subsequent treatment ofpatients with PsA.

Key words:
psoriatic arthritis, clinical articular damage, radiological articular damage