Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and overproduction of skin cells, resulting in skin rashes and raised, scaly patches. Psoriatic arthritis is another autoimmune disease that is often associated with psoriasis and causes inflammation in the joints, resulting in stiffness and pain. Sometimes psoriatic disease is used to describe the immune response and inflammation that cause both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Of the 8 million individuals with psoriasis, up to 30% of them will also develop psoriatic arthritis. Both diseases are often under-diagnosed among African Americans and other individuals with skin of color due to differences in clinical presentation. While psoriatic arthritis occurs equally in women and men, the impact is not the same. Women report experiencing more fatigue and functional limitations, and are also less likely to respond to some treatments and achieve remission than men. Delays in arriving at a timely diagnosis for psoriatic arthritis can potentially result in irreversible joint damage.

Psoriatic Arthritis is part of the SWHR Autoimmune Network, which engages the following focus areas: Autoimmune Diseases, Alopecia Areata, Atopic Dermatitis, Lupus, and Psoriatic Arthritis.