Investigation of Enthesopathy with Ultrasonography and Comparison with Skin Findings in Asymptomatic Psoriatic Patients.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Joint involvement associated with psoriasis is referred to as psoriatic arthritis. A late diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis may cause a variety of morbidities; therefore, an early diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic arthritis are required. Asymptomatic psoriatic arthritis has been found in 8-70% of patients with psoriasis using imaging techniques. OBJECTIVE: To investigate joint and enthesis regions by ultrasonography in patients with psoriasis without inflammatory joint symptoms to detect subclinical psoriatic arthritis. METHODS: We included 50 psoriasis patients and 30 healthy control subjects without joint complaint in this study. Twelve joint regions of all subjects in each group were examined by ultrasonography. RESULTS: The presence of any pathological ultrasonography finding (30%) was higher but did not significantly differ in psoriasis patients compared with the control group (13.33%; p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although statistically not significant, the pathological ultrasonography findings were approximately twofold more common in patients with psoriasis compared with the control group. Therefore, the development of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis should be more closely followed.