Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2008 , Vol 54 , Num 1

Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment

Hatice Bodur 1
1 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is chronic inflammatory arthropathy of peripheral joints, spine and enthesis. In the past, it was considered that PsA progresses mildly compared to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). However in last 20 years, it was seen that PsA progresses more aggressive than as considered before and continuous treatment is recommended instead of cyclic or intermittant treatment. In the patients with mild or moderate symptoms without signs of progressive joint destruction, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory (NSAI) drugs must be selected at first step. In the patients who don’t respond to NSAI drugs and in which the disease progresses, disease modifying drugs as methotrexate, sulphasalazine, leflunomide, cyclosprine are used. After the effect of TNF-a antagonists (etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab) was seen in RA, the effect of these agents in PsA was studied and dramatic improvements were observed in all aspects of the disease (skin, joints, enthesis) and they are used in the treatment of PsA. 

Keywords : Psoriatic arthritis, treatment