A multidisciplinary team for the diagnosis and management of psoriatic arthritis

Abstract

[4] During the process of the diagnosis and treatment of PsA, detailed medical history and physical examinations are of great significance. [...]clinicians should make full use of screening questionnaires, laboratory tests, and diagnostic imaging. [...]the sensitivity and specificity of current screening methods of PsA remain relatively low. [...]the Australian, Korean, and Chinese versions of EARP are also suitable for early detection of PsA symptoms. RF negativity is one of the Classification of Psoriatic Arthritis (CASPAR) criteria for diagnosing PsA, but there are also 5% to 20% of PsA patients with positive RF. [...]RF seropositivity in patients with characteristic manifestations of PsA cannot directly rule out the diagnosis of PsA. A 2-year study in an Italian R-D clinic demonstrated that using specific working procedures and treatment flowcharts through the close cooperation of dermatologists and rheumatologists can yield a significant therapeutic efficacy on PsA as well as the improvement of health-related quality of life.