Pune: With the rise in chronic rheumatological conditions such as Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), doctors feel there is a need to spread awareness on these conditions as most cases go undiagnosed.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is an irreversible, inflammatory and autoimmune disease that affects the joints of the spine and lower limbs. It is known as ‘arthritis of the spine’ (AS) as it occurs due to an overgrowth in the spine’s bones which causes them to fuse together to form a rigid spine. However, it should not be confused with regular spondylitis.
Affecting 1 in 100 adults, AS is prevalent in young adults, mostly affecting young males during the most active and productive years of their lives. AS generally affects joints of the neck, back, hips, knees and foot.
Dr Sushant Shinde, a consultant physician at Quest Clinic, said in India, most patients are diagnosed late or meet the rheumatologists after many years after the onset of disease.
“In my clinical experience, most patients visit rheumatologists 3 to 5 years after the onset of pain. There are effective treatment options available for patients with AS. Treatment should be taken for long-term. Some new class of medicines known as ‘biologic therapy’ have shown significant results among patients who do not show improvement with conventional treatments,” said Dr Shinde.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Generally preceded by psoriasis, PsA is an autoimmune condition, a form of inflammatory arthritis. PsA causes swelling in fingers, toes, knees and spine, including joint pain and stiffness.
Affecting one or both sides of the body, psoriatic arthritis often resembles signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is not the same. In many cases, there is a delay in diagnosis of the condition due to a lack of awareness. Many people suffering from psoriasis are unaware of the risk of developing psoriatic arthritis.
A 59-year-old male from Pune, working with the Central Government was diagnosed with psoriasis 10 years ago. He had access to the best healthcare and consulted top dermatologists to start treatment. Five years into his condition, the patient began to develop stiffness, pain and severe inflammation in all major joints. His disease progressed over the next four years. The damage to his joints was so bad that he had to stop working. Eventually, he got wheelchair-bound and became dependent on his family and had to hire domestic help for even the most
basic bodily functions.
Dr Ajit Nalawade, Consultant Rheumatologist at the Pain and Arthritis Clinic and Columbia Asia and Sancheti Hospital said, “Over the years, we are witnessing a rise in the incidence of Psoriatic Arthritis.”
“The most important factor to note here is that often patients living with psoriasis are not aware of an associated condition such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In my experience, there is about 20 to 25 per cent of psoriasis patients who also suffer from this condition. As PsA affects the joints, delay in diagnosis often leads to severity of the condition and presents a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life. The average delay between developing the condition and a patient being diagnosed is 3 to 4 years which makes timely treatment and effective management of the disease even more important,” said Dr Nalawade.
