Treatment and management of psoriasis with nail involvement: a focus on biologic therapy

Abstract

Nail involvement in psoriasis is typically overlooked, although it can affect up to 50% of patients with psoriasis and cause functional impact as well as psychological stress that can significantly affect quality of life. In addition, psoriatic patients with nail disease tend to have a more severe skin condition, a higher rate of unremitting and progressive arthritis and more associated anxiety and depression. Historically, the treatment of nail psoriasis has proven difficult, with most patients feeling that the treatment for their nail disease was unsatisfactory. The current management of nail psoriasis includes topical, intralesional and systemic therapies, although little clinical evidence is available on the effectiveness of conventional treatments and, consequently, no specific treatment approach has been fully supported. Biologic agents are beginning to emerge as a viable option to treat patients with both cutaneous and nail clinical manifestations of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The extra disease burden that nail symptoms place on the patient can be considered indicative of a more severe form of the disease and should be taken into consideration when assessing treatment options.