Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month: Focus on Bone Damage in Psoriatic Disease

September 20, 2018

You can expect to see more bony erosion and enthesiophyte growth in your patients with PsA than in those with isolated psoriasis.

Reference1. Simon D, Kleyer A, Faustini F, et al. Simultaneous quantification of bone erosions and enthesiophytes in the joints of patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis - effects of age and disease duration. Arthritis Res Ther. 2018;20:203. doi: 10.1186/s13075-018-1691-z.

Simon and fellow researchers in Germany found that bone erosions are dependent on age and disease duration in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), while enthesiophytes are increased in both PsA and psoriasis with less dependence on age.¹ Scroll through the slides for the details of the study and the take-home points for physicians.

Bone erosion progresses in PsA because of the accumulation of osteoclasts in the joints, stimulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. New bone formation also occurs at tendon insertion sites, leading to bony spurs (enthesiophytes).

PsA, psoriatic arthritis.

Age is a key factor for joint erosion not only in PsA and psoriasis, but in the general population as well. Physicians can expect to see erosions in all their patients as they age, not just those with inflammatory disease.