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Psoriatic arthritis (PA) is a combination of the skin disorder psoriasis and arthritis. It causes pain and swelling in a person’s joints and thick, scaly patches of skin on some areas of the body. The disease typically affects adults in their 30s through 50s, but children can develop a form of the disease called juvenile psoriatic arthritis.

PA can appear in five major forms, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Most people with PA develop psoriasis long before arthritic symptoms appear. Fingers and toes are the areas of the body most commonly affected. Many patients also experience pitted, discolored nails and inflammatory eye conditions.

In most cases, patients with PA find that symptoms related to their psoriasis and arthritis tend to come and go. In addition, patients usually do not experience flare-ups of both their psoriasis and their arthritis at the same time.

There is no cure for PA, but medication, physical therapy and lifestyle changes can often relieve pain and slow the disease’s progression. People who have a parent or sibling with PA are themselves at greater risk for the disease. The condition is also associated with stress, reactions to medications or vaccines, illness and other factors. Having psoriasis, however, is the greatest risk factor for the condition.