Does this sound like psoriasis to you?

[Seenie]

I have Psoriatic Disease: psoriasis (mild) with arthritis (severe). Now my sister is showing arthritis symptoms. She also has undiagnosed itchy flaky "stuff" in her ears. She has been to a rheumatologist, who has said that a diagnosis of "psoriasis" will nail a PsA diagnosis.

She went to an ENT doc about another problem. He looked at her ears and said "definitely psoriasis". He claimed to be an authority, because he has psoriasis himself.

Then she went to a dermatologist who said "Maybe psoriasis, maybe not" but would not commit even though she knew that another diagnosis hung on her opinion.

Questions for you:

Should my sis seek another dermatology opinion? Has anyone here ever had two derms give different opinions on their psoriasis?

Do you have psoriasis in your ears? Is there anything you think she should know about that?

This is really frustrating: sis, meanwhile is feeling awful. What a difficult disease this is to diagnose!

[gwynedd]

Hi Seeni,

I completely understand your sisters frustration. I have pustular psoriasis which is only triggered by sunlight and only on my left-foot! This has meant that diagnosing me with PsA has been extremly difficult even though my daughter has plaque type of psoriasis. My Rhuemy has been reluctant to diagnose me with PsA until she sees it or a new dermitologist diagnoses it! However I am being treated for inflammatory arthritis and as the treatment is the same I'm happy to wait until i get my feet out in the sun again. Has your sister been prescibed any meds for inflammatory arthritis? If not I would definitely getting second opinion. I hope she gets some answers soon as not knowing is very frustrating.

[Seenie in reply to gwynedd]

Sounds like the same plot with different characters. She is going for a second opinion, and I'm guessing that the rheumatologist will start treating as having inflammatory arthritis if there is no definitive opinion from the derm. Frustrating indeed!

[oldtimer]

You don't need to have the skin manifestations to be diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. I know one person who is treated for psoriatic arthritis on the basis that it is in her family and her arthritis fits that pattern.

[Barrister]

I have PsA but don't have psoriasis. I was diagnosed because my son has severe psoriasis. Clemmie

[Jefflin]

Me too. PsA but no psoriasis. I had a patch of eczema looking rash on my hand that I photographed for my next appt but it really did just look like contact dermatitis or eczema.

[Seenie]

Well, sister took herself to another derm, who did a punch biopsy. It's psoriasis.

One more piece of information for the rheumatologist. Thanks, everyone for your input.

[smilelines]

Where did they do the punch biopsy? One doctor says I have dermatitis the other says psoriasis of the ear canal. The dermatologist said she couldn't do a punch biopsy. Happy your sister got answers.