Psoriatic arthritis and lichen sclerosus
Is there any link between psoriatic arthritis and lichen sclerosus? I have both. Is Hyrimoz safe to take or can this affect the LS?
Thank you very much for taking the time to write to me. Your letter is very reassuring with regard to my current treatment.
- Name: Anonymous
- Topic: Psoriatic Arthritis
I’m sorry to hear that you have both lichen sclerosus (LS) and psoriatic arthritis; you ask a very interesting question regarding their possible association. As you know, LS is a relatively common chronic inflammatory skin disease that predominantly affects the vulva and perianal area. The cause has not been established for certain, but the general consensus among experts is that it is an autoimmune disease. There is some evidence that LS in women, may be associated with other autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis. For example, in one study of 202 women with LS, 35 (17%) also had a diagnosis of psoriasis. This is much higher than the 2-3% one would have expected in the general population. No information was given regarding the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in this group, but it would not be unreasonable to suppose that at least 5 of the 35, also had psoriatic arthritis. It’s important to remember that psoriasis itself can involve the genital area. Indeed, in the study mentioned above, 10 of the 35 women with psoriasis and LS, also had psoriasis affecting the vulval area. So, overall, I would say that LS probably does increase the risk for psoriatic arthritis, but I would not say the association is especially strong. As to the question of Hyrimoz (adalimumab), a recent (2022) publication showed that adalimumab may be useful in the treatment of LS. So, I would have no concerns about your taking this and it may even help your LS (as well as your psoriasis).
- Name: Anonymous
- Topic: Psoriatic Arthritis