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Front Oncol 2021 3;11:687432. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

Cancer is one of the several comorbidities that have been linked with chronic cutaneous inflammatory diseases namely psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and hidradenitis suppurativa. Although the chronic inflammatory state, typical of the diseases, may induce pro-tumorigenic effects, the debate whether or not the drugs currently used in clinical practice do in facts increase a patient's risk of malignancy remains largely unsolved. The therapeutic armamentarium has been greatly enhanced at least in the last two decades with the advent of biologics, a heterogeneous group of laboratory-engineered agents with more in the pipeline, and other targeted small molecules. Read More

Front Immunol 2021 2;12:622770. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano (Mi), Italy.

The term spondyloarthritis (SpA) encompasses a heterogeneous group of inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases with several common genetic background and clinical features, including the possible involvement of the axial skeleton with peripheral mono- or oligo- arthritis and frequently coexisting skin, eye and intestinal manifestations. When the sacroiliac joints or other parts of the spine or thoracic wall are predominantly affected at magnetic resonance or X-ray imaging with inflammatory back pain, the disease is classified as axial SpA and the therapeutic choices are significantly different compared to cases of peripheral arthritis. Moving from the narrow effectiveness and safety profiles of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, there has been a significant research effort aimed at identifying new treatments based on our better understanding of the pathogenesis of SpA. Read More

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2021 Jun 18. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory condition affecting up to 30% of patients with psoriasis. Patients may experience irreversible joint damage if not treated early, and diagnostic delays of even 6 months are associated with radiographic progression and impaired function. Therefore, early detection and intervention are of critical importance in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Read More

Semin Arthritis Rheum 2021 May 5;51(4):766-774. Epub 2021 May 5.

Rheumatology service, Hospital Universitario la Paz-IdiPaz, Madrid, Spain.

Objective: To determine the clinical profile of axial psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in a worldwide setting. Secondly, to identify factors associated with the development of axial involvement in patients with PsA.

Methods: Data from 3684 patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) or PsA from the ASAS-perSpA study were analysed. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2021 May 28. Epub 2021 May 28.

Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, Padova University Hospital, Padova, Italy.

Objectives: Bone scintigraphy (BS) is a sensitive tool that provides functional imaging to evaluate bone abnormalities in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Our aims were to analyse the prevalence of increased BS uptake in the midfoot of PsA patients and to evaluate whether BS midfoot abnormalities could herald ultrasonography (US) and x-ray lesions in the same site.

Methods: Out of 88 consecutive BS performed in patients with early musculoskeletal symptoms (January-December 2010) and retrospectively analysed, 32 exams were carried out on subjects 3 months after being diagnosed with PsA. Read More

Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2021 Jun 4:101693. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

Consultant Rheumatologist, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address:

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis with a highly variable clinical presentation that does not have a validated molecular or imaging test, making accurate diagnosis a challenge. Consequences of diagnostic delay include irreversible joint damage and significant morbidity. Over the past few decades, there have been major advances in the understanding and treatment of PsA, leading to more targeted therapies. Read More

RMD Open 2021 Jun;7(2)

Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

The novel technique of fluorescence optical imaging (FOI, Xiralite), which is approved in the European Union and the USA for clinical use, has been the object of studies since 2009. Indocyanine green-based FOI can demonstrate an impaired microcirculation caused by inflammation in both hands in one examination. Several studies have investigated FOI for detection of joint inflammation by comparing FOI to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS). Read More

Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2021 Apr 3;25(2):232-245. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

Service de Radiologie et Imagerie Musculosquelettique, Centre de Consultation et d'Imagerie de l'Appareil Locomoteur, CHU, France.

The hand and wrist are commonly involved in rheumatic conditions, particularly rheumatoid arthritis and other systemic connective tissue diseases. With spondyloarthritis, hand and wrist involvement frequently occurs in psoriatic arthritis but generally does not occur in the remaining subtypes. The hand and wrist may also be affected in various metabolic and endocrine diseases, but these lie beyond the scope of this review. Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2021 Jun 3. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.

Objectives: To assess the involvement of the CCR6/CCL20 axis in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis (PsO) and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target.

Methods: First, we quantified CCL20 levels in peripheral blood and synovial fluid of PsA patients and the presence of CCR6 cells in synovial and tendon tissue. Utilizing an IL-23 minicircle DNA (MC) mouse model exhibiting key features of both PsO and PsA, we investigated CCR6 and CCL20 expression and the preventive and therapeutical effect of CCL20 blockade. Read More

J Rheumatol Suppl 2021 Jun;97:55-57

G.S. Kaeley, MD, MBBS, MRCP, RhMSUS, Professor of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

Ultrasound (US) is a valuable imaging modality that can accurately identify relevant features of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), such as synovitis, tenosynovitis, and enthesitis. The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) Ultrasound Committee ran a workshop during the annual GRAPPA meeting that was held in July 2020. The group presented the following 3 topics: (1) the transition from psoriasis to PsA and the role of US; (2) the effect of biomechanical forces on the entheses in health and disease, and insight for PsA pathogenesis; and (3) differentiation of enthesitis from pain sensitization: use and limitations of clinical and sonographic evaluation of enthesitis. Read More

J Rheumatol Suppl 2021 Jun;97:50-54

M. Østergaard, MD, PhD, DMSc, Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research (COPECARE), Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) presents with diverse features of musculoskeletal inflammation that affect both axial and peripheral joints as well as entheses, tenosynovium, and bursae. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality that is uniquely capable of identifying pathology in all these structures. The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) Magnetic Resonance Imaging Working Group has increasingly explored diverse MRI methodologies for the purposes of quantifying inflammatory and structural abnormalities in clinical trials and research. Read More

J Rheumatol Suppl 2021 Jun;97:1-3

L.V. McFarland, MS, PhD, Consultant, Public Health Reserves Corps, Seattle, Washington, USA.

The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) held its annual meeting in 2020 in an online format due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; caused by SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. The virtual meeting was attended by 351 rheumatologists, dermatologists, representatives of biopharmaceutical companies, and patient research partners. Similar to previous years, GRAPPA's annual meeting focused on the 3 overlapping missions of education, research, and clinical care of psoriatic disease. Read More

J Dermatol 2021 Jun;48(6):741-749

Department of Dermatology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis. It is found in approximately 10% of psoriatic patients in Japan. PsA mainly affects the peripheral joints, spine, and/or sacroiliac joints. Read More

Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2021 May 17:101690. Epub 2021 May 17.

Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address:

The heterogeneous nature of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), encompassing several domains, with varied presentations brings about considerable challenges in disease evaluation. Prompt diagnosis and targeted therapy have resulted in disease remission being accepted as an attainable goal in PsA. Imaging has played a pivotal role in early diagnosis, better understanding of pathogenesis, monitoring of disease, and as an outcome measurement tool in clinical trials in PsA. Read More

Int Ophthalmol 2021 May 20. Epub 2021 May 20.

Department of Ophthalmology, Dokuz Eylul University, İzmir, Turkey.

Purpose: To elucidate the en face optical coherence tomography (OCT) patterns of macular edema in eyes with angiographically documented uveitic macular edema (UME) and compare visual acuity (VA), OCT and OCT-angiography (OCT-A) parameters among the morphological subgroups.

Methods: Thirty-nine eyes of 29 patients with angiographically proven UME were enrolled into the study. All patients underwent comprehensive ophthalmological examination including structural OCT and OCT-A in addition to fluorescein angiography. Read More

PLoS One 2021 19;16(5):e0251788. Epub 2021 May 19.

Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CRMBM-CEMEREM, Marseille, France.

Objective: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease, mediated in part by TNFα and associated with bone loss. Anti-TNFα treatment should inhibit this phenomenon and reduce the systemic bone loss. Ultra-high field MRI (UHF MRI) may be used to quantify bone microarchitecture (BM) in-vivo. Read More

Immun Inflamm Dis 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

The Rheumatology Group, South Charleston, West Virginia, USA.

Background: Case report of a 21-year-old female developing non-radiographic axialspondyloarthritis in the setting of a preceding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We felt this was a unique case as some cases of psoriatic arthropathy and reactive arthropathy but none, to our knowledge of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Case Presentation: Twenty one-year-old female presented in June 2020 with inflammatory symptoms with general work-up per primary care provider being negative. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2021 Apr 24. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark.

Objective: To investigate the association between clinical joint tenderness and intra- and periarticular inflammation as assessed by ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to explore if the associations differ according to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and structural damage.

Methods: Forty-one patients with active PsA and hand involvement had 76/78 joints examined for swelling/tenderness and ultrasound and MRI of 24 and 12 finger joints, respectively. Synovitis, tenosynovitis, periarticular inflammation and erosions were assessed using OMERACT definitions and scoring systems. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021 Apr 20;22(1):367. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, 2 Wanglang Road, Bangkoknoi, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included PsA or AS patients who attended Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) during March 2014 to October 2017. The Harmonized MetS definition was used to diagnose MetS. Read More

Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 2021 29;13:1759720X211003812. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Rheumatology Research Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospital Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK.

Objectives: To: (a) determine the extent of ultrasound (US)-detected peripheral enthesitis in a cohort of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA); (b) compare this with three clinical examination (CE) enthesitis indices; and (c) determine the effect of concurrent fibromyalgia on the evaluation of enthesitis.

Methods: A prospective single-centre cross-sectional study of consecutive outpatients with established PsA undergoing clinical examination for enthesitis and US examination for inflammatory and structural lesions of enthesitis. Multivariable analyses tested for association between US scores, CE enthesitis indices and influence of concurrent fibromyalgia. Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.

Following the pivotal manuscript that outlined unique disease features half a century ago, investigators in the field of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have extrapolated clinical trial data and molecular insights from the more expansive experience in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As a result, many of the diagnostic approaches, imaging modalities, therapeutics and outcome measures paralleled (and at times became identical to) those developed for RA. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Department of Rheumatology, 424 General Army Hospital, Ring Road N. Efkarpias, 564 03, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Psoriatic onycho-pachydermo periostitis (POPP) is characterized by psoriatic onychodystrophy, connective tissue thickening, and periostitis of the distal phalanges (DPs), producing a drumstick-like deformity. Our aim was to present the first case of POPP treated successfully with an IL-17 inhibitor, perform a literature review of its characteristics and treatment, and explore the possible pathogenesis. We conducted a systematic review of previously presented POPP cases. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2021 Apr 2;22:e930041. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Department of Rheumatology, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Neptune, NJ, USA.

BACKGROUND Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with multiple comorbidities including psoriatic arthritis (PsA), atherosclerotic disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression. Interestingly, nonischemic cardiomyopathy, especially dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), has been associated with psoriasis and reported in only in a few cases in the literature. CASE REPORT We report the rare case of a 58-year-old man with a medical history of untreated severe psoriasis and PsA who presented with a sudden onset of shortness of breath. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021 Apr 1;22(1):320. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Department of Surgery, Orthopaedic Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY, 10065, USA.

Background: Giant cell tumor of bone is a benign, locally aggressive neoplasm. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment method. However, for cases in which resection poses an increased risk to the patient, denosumab (anti-RANKL monoclonal antibody) is considered. Read More

Radiologe 2021 May 1;61(5):470-482. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Klinik für diagnostische und interventionelle Radiologie, Augusta-Kranken-Anstalt Bochum, Bergstraße 26, 44791, Bochum, Deutschland.

Background: Progressive systemic scleroderma (PSS) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) represent vasculitic autoimmune diseases from the group of collagenoses with manifestations in various organ systems such as the skin, the internal organs and the joints.

Objective: To present the atypical arthritis patterns of the hands in PSS and MCTD that differ from those in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the context of clinical and serologic findings and in consideration of the classification of PSS and MCTD.

Materials And Methods: Narrative review based on the current literature on the subject from the radiological and rheumatological point of view. Read More

Radiologe 2021 May 30;61(5):448-457. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Deutschland.

Background: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is considered the prototype of peripheral spondyloarthritides (SpA) and is associated as skin-bone disease (SkiBo) with typical skin changes and with typical arthritides of the joints, especially of the hands and feet.

Objective: Systematic review of imaging manual findings patterns in PsA with its typical enthesitic arthritides in context with clinical findings.

Materials And Methods: A review based on the current literature on the subject from a radiological and rheumatological point of view is provided. Read More

Radiologe 2021 May 29;61(5):458-469. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Deutschland.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a gynecotropic autoimmune vasculitis with manifestations in various organ systems including the skin, internal organs, and joints.

Objective: Presentation of the atypical arthritis patterns of the hands in SLE as the most common autoimmunologic rheumatologic disease from the group of collagenoses in the context of clinical and serological findings and considering the classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology compared to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Materials And Methods: Narrative review based on the current literature on the subject from a radiological and rheumatological point of view. Read More

Psoriasis (Auckl) 2021 18;11:31-39. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Department of Health Technology Assessment, ALZAK Foundation, Cartagena, Colombia.

Objective: To estimate the frequency of health care resource utilization and direct medical costs associated with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) in a rheumatic care center in Colombia.

Methods: A retrospective prevalence-based cost of illness study under the Colombian health care system perspective was conducted. We analyzed the frequency of health care resource utilization and estimated direct medical costs using anonymized medical records of adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with PsA at a rheumatology care center in Bogotá, Colombia. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2021 9;9:635102. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Rheumatology Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The inappropriate accumulation and activation of leukocytes is a shared pathological feature of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Cellular accumulation is therefore an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. However, attempts to modulate leukocyte entry and exit from the joint have proven unsuccessful to date, indicating that gaps in our knowledge remain. Read More

Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2021 Mar 17:101670. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is associated with decreased quality of life. As delayed diagnosis may lead to progressive joint destruction and long-term disability, the key clinical features of PsA should be recognizable to a wide range of clinicians to facilitate early diagnosis. In addition to assessment and identification of skin and nail lesions, which occur in up to 85% of those with musculoskeletal manifestations, clinicians should be aware of both the peripheral and axial manifestations of musculoskeletal disease reviewed here. Read More