Diagnostic Delay in Half of Psoriatic Arthritis Patients Save

 A Mayo Clinic/ Olmsted County study of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients has shown that more than half (55%) of PsA patients had a diagnostic delay of > 2 years, and that this delay has not improved over time.

A retrospective, population-based cohort examined incident adult PsA patients diagnosed between 2000–2017. They identifed a total of 164 incident PsA cases (162 diagnosed by a physician or rheumatologist).  The mean age was 41.5 years and 46% were female.

The median time from symptom onset to physician diagnosis was 2.5 years - 23% were diagnosed by 6 months, 35% were diagnosed by 1 year, and 45% after 2 years of symptoms. No trend towards improving this diagnostic delay was seen with time.

Predictors of a diagnostic delay >2 years included: earlier age at onset, higher BMI, and enthesitis.

In this Olmstead County cohort, significant delays in the diagnosis of PsA was seen after both 1 and 2 years of symptoms, suggesting that both provider and patients need interventions and education to avoid substantial damage and disability.