Treatment strategies for early psoriatic arthritis

BACKGROUND: Until a few years ago, the early diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) did not receive much attention, especially in view of the lack of drugs capable of altering the disease course. This changed with the introduction of the TNF-alpha-blocking agents, as a result of which the early diagnosis of PsA is now a topic of great interest. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to review the treatment for PsA in order to determine the optimal approach to managing early disease. METHODS: The systematic review performed by members of GRAPPA (Group of Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis) was integrated with data from more recent studies. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: After making the diagnosis of PsA, the next step is to stage of the disease with the aim of establishing the prevalent manifestation (peripheral arthritis, peripheral enthesitis, axial involvement and dactylitis) and degree of severity (mild, moderate or severe) of the disease. Each patient should be treated according to the defined disease status following the suggested treatment algorithms.