Psoriasis and Arthritis

Abstract
The significance of the association of psoriasis with arthritis has been controversial since Alibert (1) and Bourdillon (2) described patients in whom the 2 diseases coexisted. It has often been alleged that psoriatic arthritis is an entity distinct from rheumatoid arthritis, and various criteria for this diagnosis have been propounded. Thus, it has been contended that the coincidence of exacerbations and remissions of skin and joint manifestations is essential (3-5); others (6) accepted only exclusive terminal interphalangeal joint (TIP) involvement, and some authors (7, 8) felt that the diagnosis should be made only when severe destructive joint changes were present.