Definition

Noun: A chronic, inflammatory form of arthritis that occurs in some people who have the skin condition psoriasis. It typically causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, and can affect any joint, but often involves the fingers and toes.

Examples

• The diagnosis confirmed that her joint pain and skin plaques were due to psoriatic arthritis.
• Psoriatic arthritis can cause swelling in entire fingers or toes, a symptom known as dactylitis.
• Managing psoriatic arthritis often requires treatment for both the skin and the joint symptoms.

Advanced Usage

• The term is frequently used in medical contexts to distinguish this specific arthropathy from other types like rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. It is often discussed in relation to its association with the HLA-B27 gene and its classification as a seronegative spondyloarthropathy.

Variants and Related Words

• Arthritis (n): The broader category of diseases involving inflammation of the joints.
• Psoriasis (n): The chronic skin condition characterized by red, scaly patches, which is associated with psoriatic arthritis.
• Spondyloarthropathy (n): A family of inflammatory rheumatic diseases that includes psoriatic arthritis.

Synonyms

• Arthropathic psoriasis: A less common term emphasizing the psoriasis-related joint disease.
• Psoriasis arthritis: An alternative word order with the same meaning.

Related Phrases

• Peripheral arthritis: Refers to the involvement of joints in the limbs (like fingers, toes, knees), which is common in psoriatic arthritis.
• Axial arthritis: Refers to the involvement of the spine and sacroiliac joints, which can also occur in psoriatic arthritis.

Noun

1. a form of rheumatoid arthritis usually affecting fingers and toes and associated with psoriasis