Issue 8/2023
Momcheva1, I. , Hristova2,
Sv., Bliznakova2, M., Hristova2,
I., Madjova2, V.
1 Department of Rheumatology – Burgas UMHAT
2 Department of General Medicine, Medical University – Varna
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthropathy usually associated with psoriasis. The disease is heterogeneous and potentially severely debilitating and the peripheral joints and axial skeleton, entheses, skin, nails, eyes, heart structures, gastrointestinal tract are engaged by the inflammation. This gives a reason to refer to Psoriatic disease. The early diagnostication and treatment and structure- and function-preserving. The approach to such patients should be multi-disciplinary. The study of the characteristics of the pre-clinical phases of PsA is of great interest now when we have evidences that support the efficiency of the early therapeutic interference in PsA. The treatment of the disease in its preclinical phase may avoid the progression to advanced PsA. The review examines the main reasons for delay of the diagnostication and the consequences thereof. The emphasis is on the role of the GP in the strategy for early diagnosis of PsA and avoiding the structural damage of the joints. We offer a questionnaire prepared by us to facilitate the GPs for the timely referral to rheumatologist of the patient with clinical complaints from the musculoskeletal system and probability of existence of inflammatory arthritis.
Key words: psoriatic diseases, early diagnostication, structural damage, questionnaire
Address for correspondence:
Irina Momcheva
Department of Rheumatology – Burgas UMHAT
tel. +359 878 501 116
e-mail: iri_m@abv.bg