CONCLUSION: TCM and integrative medicine are effective in treating PA, with lesser side effects.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of psoriasis arthropathy (PA) and to explore the effect of treatment by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation and integrative medicine.

METHODS: The initiating characteristics, clinical manifestations, related laboratory and X-ray data as well as the therapeutic efficacy of syndrome dependent TCM and integrative medicine on 47 PA patients were analyzed.

RESULTS: Among all the 47 patients, 38 (80.6%) had the skin lesion revealed earlier to joint symptoms, the average time between the appearance of skin lesion and joint symptoms was 9.2 years; joint X-ray abnormality was found in 32 cases (68.1%); and psoriasis nail involvement was found in 33 cases (70.2%). Seventeen patients were treated with TCM alone and obtained satisfactory results, while the other 30 patients, were treated by integrative medicine with the dosage of medicine reduced immediately after symptoms were relieved, and finally cured or improved