yes. psoriatic arthritis can cause inflammation in organs such as the eyes lungs and aorta. inflammation in the colored portion of the eye (iris) causes iritis a painful condition that can be aggravated by bright light. corticosteroids injected directly into the eyes of patients with iritis are sometimes necessary to decrease inflammation and prevent blindness. inflammation in and around the lungs (pleuritis) causes chest pain especially with deep breathing as well as shortness of breath. inflammation of the aorta (aortitis) can cause leakage of the aortic valves leading to heart failure and shortness of breath. nail changes are commonly seen in psoriatic arthritis. pitting and ridges are seen in the fingernails and toenails of 80% of patients with psoriatic arthritis. interestingly these characteristic nail changes are observed in only a minority of psoriasis patients who do not have arthritis. acne has been noted to occur in higher frequency in patients with psoriatic arthritis. in fact a new syndrome has been described characterized by inflammation of the joint lining (synovitis) acne and pustules on the feet or palms thickened and inflamed bone (hyperostosis) and bone inflammation (osteitis). this syndrome is given the name sapho syndrome and is different from psoriatic arthritis.
does psoriatic arthritis cause inflammation of organs?