Applicability of a new questionnaire for the diagnosis of psoriatic Arthritis

Abstract

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis associated with cutaneous psoriasis usually affects individuals seronegative for rheumatoid factor (RF) and varied clinical presentation.It is known that most patients have cutaneous manifestations of psoriasis before the development of symptoms of arthritis, then a new questionnaire is called Early Psoriatic Arthritis Patients Questionnaire (PRT) proved to be a rapid and simple tool to identify arthritis symptons in patients with cutaneous lesions. Thus this questionnaire should avoid possible structural damage. Objective: Primary: To evaluate the applicability of the new questionnaire, called Early Psoriatic Arthritis is patientes (EARP) for the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. Secondary: To correlate the cutoff of the EARP with the criteria of clinical and laboratory activity in patients with psoriasis and to correlate the cutoff value of the EARP for the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis with ultrasound findings of the hands and feet.Method: This is a cross-sectional study of 50 patients with diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris. Patients will be recruited from the outpatient clinics of the Universidade Nove de Julho. After having read and signed the consent form, and were within the inclusion criteria will undergo clinical evaluation performed by students of the eighth semester under the supervision of a teacher of the discipline of the locomotor system. The following clinicals tools will be apllied: Psoriatic Arthritis Screening and Evaluation (PASI), Early Psoriatic Arthritis for Patients Questionnaire (EARP ), Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index Bath (BASFI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index ( BASDAI ), 28 the following instruments for clinical assessment will be applied - Disease Activity Score ( DAS28 ). All patients will be subjected to the following laboratory tests: measurement of serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (R F). The following tests will also be performed: x-ray of hands PA oblique X and RX of the sacroiliac joint in Fegurson. The musculoskeletal ultrasound will be apllyed in the second and third metacarpophalangeal and proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of both hands.