Which is a subtype of psoriatic arthritis?

• A. Asymmetric oligoarthritis with dactylitis
• B. Gouty arthritis
• C. RA-like polyarthritis
• D. Osteoarthritis

Answer: (A)

Psoriatic arthritis presents in several inflammatory patterns, and asymmetric oligoarthritis with dactylitis is a classic pattern. When a few joints are affected in an uneven, asymmetric way and there is dactylitis—swelling of an entire finger or toe—that combination strongly points to PsA and helps distinguish it from other arthritis types. Gouty arthritis is driven by crystal deposition and typically presents as an acute attack in a single joint or a few joints, not as a psoriasis-associated pattern. Osteoarthritis is degenerative and lacks the inflammatory features such as dactylitis. While PsA can resemble rheumatoid arthritis in some cases, the distinctive feature of asymmetric oligoarthritis with dactylitis makes this presentation a characteristic PsA subtype.