Consequences of COVID-19 on Uveitis Patients from Their Own Perspective: A Questionnaire-based Study.

PURPOSE: Given their immunocompromised status, uveitis patients should be particularly careful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Treatment compliance and adherence are among the most important patient-related determinants of treatment success.To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of uveitis patients from their own perspective. METHODS: A questionnaire was performed on uveitis patients at Cairo University Hospital in the period between June and August 2020. RESULTS: Overall, 150 responses were received. Almost 20% patients stopped their medications. A total of 61.7% patients reported no fears regarding getting infected with the novel coronavirus. In addition, 54% patients found medical services easily, 26% patients received them through telemedicine, and 34% patients reported worsening of their ocular condition. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 has caused a decrease in uveitis patient compliance with follow-ups, leading to worsening of their ocular condition. Economic and psychological effects of COVID-19 pandemic on any chronic patient should be addressed to prevent further deterioration as the pandemic continues.

Psoriatic arthritis among Egyptian patients with psoriasis attending the dermatology clinic: prevalence, comorbidities, and clinical predictors.

OBJECTIVES: Early diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) help to prevent progressive joint involvement and disabilities. There is a problem in the early diagnosis of PsA worldwide, which may be attributed to the dermatologists missing PsA symptoms and signs and a lack of effective screening tools. AIM OF THE STUDY: The current study was designed to assess the prevalence, comorbidities, and clinical predictors associated with the development of PsA in psoriasis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was performed. Screening questionnaires - the Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool (PEST) and Early Arthritis for Psoriatic Patients (EARP) - were applied to 200 psoriasis patients; among them n = 22 (11% of all tested patients) were in developmental age. Those with positive questionnaires were classified as having PsA or not according to the classification for psoriatic arthritis criteria. Body surface area, psoriasis area and severity index, and psoriasis disability index tools were used for assessing psoriasis patients. A full rheumatological and dermatological evaluation were carried out for PsA patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of PsA was found to be 30%, with a mean age of 45.48 ±10.79 years. Further, psoriasis preceded the onset of PsA in 46 patients (76.6%), arthritis began before psoriasis in 6 individuals (10%), and both psoriasis and arthritis coincided in 8 (13.3%) patients. Obesity (OR 7.0, 95% CI: 2.61-18.85), nail psoriasis (OR 5.02, 95% CI: 2.02-12.476), and intergluteal cleft site (OR 12.659, 95% CI: 4.302-37.255) were associated with increased risk of PsA. However, classic plaque psoriasis (OR 0.149, 95% CI: 0.051-0.433) and flexure site (OR 0.238, 95% CI: 0.076-0.746) were linked with a decreased risk of PsA development. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for PsA in patients with psoriasis revealed a significant number of undiagnosed cases of PsA that should be treated early. Obesity, nail psoriasis, and psoriasis at the intergluteal sites can help predict the PsA development.