Recommendations for psoriatic arthritis management: A joint position paper of the Taiwan Rheumatology Association and the Taiwanese Association for Psoriasis and Skin Immunology

J Formos Med Assoc. 2021 Mar;120(3):926-938. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2020.08.026. Epub 2020 Oct 2.

Abstract

In Taiwan, the incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have risen significantly in recent years. Moreover, data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) show that more than 85% of PsA patients are treated with just non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). Taiwanese clinicians have also expressed concerns regarding uncertainties in the diagnosis of PsA and the delayed, interrupted, and/or tapered use of biologics, as well as differences in therapeutic preferences between and within dermatologists and rheumatologists. To address these issues, the Taiwan Rheumatology Association and the Taiwanese Association for Psoriasis and Skin Immunology jointly convened a committee of 28 clinicians from the fields of rheumatology, dermatology, orthopedics, and rehabilitation, to develop evidence-based consensus recommendations for the practical management of PsA in Taiwan. A total of six overarching principles and 13 recommendations were developed and approved, as well as a treatment algorithm with four separate tracks for axial PsA, peripheral PsA, enthesitis, and dactylitis. Psoriasis (PsO) management was not discussed here, as the Taiwanese Dermatological Association has recently published a comprehensive consensus statement on the management of PsO. Together, these recommendations provide an up-to-date, evidence-based framework for PsA care in Taiwan.

Keywords: Dermatologists; Psoriatic arthritis; Rheumatologists; Taiwan.

Publication types

  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Antirheumatic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic* / drug therapy
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Psoriasis* / drug therapy
  • Psoriasis* / epidemiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Taiwan / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antirheumatic Agents