Psoriatic arthritis: lessons from imaging studies and implications for therapy

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Modern imaging may aid in the diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of therapeutic response in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Detection of osteitis and technical advances like whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exemplify the value of this technology.

Areas covered: Ultrasound (US) provides a clinic-based tool for evaluating both joint pathologies and extra-articular structures (especially enthesitis) including skin and nail disease. Recent studies have demonstrated subclinical disease in psoriasis without arthritis, as well as in PsA, with implications for diagnosis and treatment classification. Modern imaging can also facilitate decisions on tapering of expensive biologics, though real-world clinical studies are still lacking.

Expert commentary: The increase in novel PsA therapies should increase the utilization of modern imaging, providing both increased validation of imaging biomarkers as well as responsive outcome measures.

KEYWORDS:

• Psoriasis
• psoriatic arthritis
• MRI
• ultrasound

Declaration of interest

PG Conaghan is on advisory boards or speakers’ bureau for Abbvie, BMS, Janssen, Lilly, Pfizer, Novartis and Roche. LC Coates is on advisory boards or speakers’ bureau for Abbvie, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Janssen, Lilly, MSD, Pfizer, Novartis and UCB. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.