Psoriatic arthritis psoriatic arthritis, and affect them symmetrically. Involvement of the spinal joints is more suggestive of psoriatic arthritis than rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis shares certain clinical features with psoriatic arthritis such as its tendency to affect multiple distal joints in an asymmetric pattern. Unlike psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis does not typically involve inflammation of the sacroiliac joint. Psoriatic arthritis sometimes affects only one joint and is sometimes confused for gout or pseudogout when this happens. There are five main types of psoriatic arthritis: The underlying process in psoriatic arthritis is inflammation; therefore, treatments are directed at reducing and controlling inflammation. Milder cases of
Septic arthritis however, these can be elevated by other infections or inflammatory conditions and are, therefore, nonspecific. Procalcitonin may be more useful than CRP. Blood cultures can be positive in up to half of patients with septic arthritis. Imaging such as x-ray, CT, MRI, or ultrasound are nonspecific. They can help determine areas of inflammation but cannot confirm septic arthritis. When septic arthritis is suspected, x-rays should generally be taken. This is used to assess any problems in the surrounding structures such as bone fractures, chondrocalcinosis, and inflammatory arthritis which may predispose to septic arthritis. While x-rays may not be helpful early