8/14/2024
Polyneuropathy is a condition where multiple nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged, causing symptoms like pain, numbness, and weakness, often in the hands and feet. A recent study aimed to determine if people with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis are at a higher risk of developing polyneuropathy. Researchers compared 100 patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis to 100 control subjects without these conditions. They used electrophysiological examination, skin biopsy, and nerve ultrasound to identify polyneuropathy.
The study found that nine people with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis had polyneuropathy, whereas none of the control group did. This indicates that individuals with these conditions were 19 times more likely to develop polyneuropathy. Specifically, those with psoriasis alone had a 22 times higher risk, and those with psoriatic arthritis had an 18 times higher risk compared to the control group.
The neuropathy observed was primarily sensory and affected both sides of the body equally, but it caused minimal disability. Additionally, patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis had a higher prevalence of comorbidities (such as diabetes, arterial hypertension, cancer, and fibromyalgia) and were exposed to treatments known to increase the risk of neuropathy (such as tnf-inhibitors) more often than the control group.
The researchers point out that some limitations of the study include small sample size and the fact that the subjects were limited to Italian patients at a dermatological outpatient clinic, which may not represent the general population.
Even so, the researchers assert that there is an association between psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and an increased risk of polyneuropathy. Although the increased risk seems to be linked to the higher prevalence of other contributing factors rather than a direct effect of the skin or joint conditions themselves, authors of the study state that their research suggests neuropathy should be listed as a potential comorbidity of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
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