PsA Minimal Disease Activity — SCE Rheumatology MCQ

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HardSpondyloarthropathyPsA Minimal Disease ActivitySCE Rheumatology

A 38-year-old man with PsA is assessed using the minimal disease activity (MDA) criteria. How many of the 7 MDA criteria must be met to classify a patient as being in MDA?

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Correct answer: A — 5 of 7

The best answer is “5 of 7”. The PsA minimal disease activity (MDA) criteria require meeting 5 of 7 criteria: tender joint count ≤1, swollen joint count ≤1, PASI ≤1 or BSA ≤3%, patient pain VAS ≤15 mm, patient global VAS ≤20 mm, HAQ ≤0.5, and tender entheseal points ≤1. MDA is a validated composite treatment target for PsA that captures multiple disease domains (joints skin entheses function and patient-reported outcomes). Achieving MDA is associated with less radiographic progression and better functional outcomes. The competing options represent related diagnoses, tests or treatments, but they do not match the decisive phenotype, safety constraint or management point in this stem.

Reference: BSR psoriatic arthritis biologic guideline: https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/61/9/e255/6594139