Disease burden and treatment challenges of psoriatic arthritis in Africa and the Middle East

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory arthropathy occurring in up to 30% of patients with psoriasis, and is characterized by multiple manifestations including peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, spondylitis, and psoriatic skin and nail disease. This complex and heterogeneous disease is poorly understood and its diagnosis and treatment are suboptimal, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, where very few studies into the impact of PsA have been carried out. This article aims to highlight the disease burden of PsA in the region as well as to identify unmet clinical needs. A non-systematic review was carried out in the PubMed database and the most relevant publications were selected. Expert rheumatologists practicing in Africa and the Middle East provide an insight into the challenges of treating PsA in daily practice, along with recommendations for improvements.