According to an article published in Healio, psoriatic arthritis may be a commonly misdiagnosed disease. In a presentation at the 2023 Rheumatology Nurses Society (RNS) annual conference, Rebekah Garrard, RN, MSN, FNP-C, a nurse practitioner at Lafayette Arthritis and Endocrine Clinic, explained that several conditions can mimic psoriatic arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, axial spondyloarthritis, and plantar fasciitis—all of which may contribute to misdiagnoses and/or diagnostic delays. She revealed that 14% to 30% of patients with psoriasis go on to develop psoriatic arthritis, but 10% will not present common symptoms before it develops. Further, it may take up to 10 years for psoriatic arthritis to develop after a patient has been diagnosed with psoriasis. Ms. Garrard explained that an accurate diagnosis ultimately depends on the knowledge and skills of the clinician, as many patients are unaware of what psoriasis is, its symptoms, or what it looks like. She advised clinicians to talk to their patients using common terms such as “itching” or “rash” and touching the patient to determine the extent of pain and swelling. “Patients do not know what psoriasis is … we have to use their language [and listen to them to prevent a misdiagnosis],” concluded Ms. Garrard.
August 09, 2023