Diagnosis of the Disease
Psoriatic arthritis is diagnosed [8] based on visual symptoms. Additional tests may also be ordered, such as blood tests, X-rays, and joint fluid analysis. In some cases, with skin manifestations of psoriasis, the diagnosis is made almost immediately. But more often, nevertheless, a thorough examination is necessary.
Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, in psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid factor [9], a special type of antibody, is rarely found in the blood. The presence or absence of rheumatoid factor in the patient’s blood is sometimes used in differential diagnosis (to distinguish one type of arthritis from another). Psoriatic arthritis can be either a slow or a rapidly progressive disease that leads to destruction and deformation of the joints. Sometimes there are signs of damage to internal organs: eyes, myocardium, intestines. Patients with psoriatic arthritis often suffer from obesity and high blood pressure.
Psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis are chronic diseases that accompany the patient throughout his life, however, these diseases can be controlled using modern therapies, which are fully mastered by the specialists of the psoriatic arthritis laboratory.