The diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis is dependent on the symptoms presented to the doctor. The physical symptoms of arthritis and psoriasis presenting at the same time will inevitably make the process of diagnosis easier on the doctor. However, a good clinical history that reveals a previous history of either arthritis or psoriasis is important if the treating physician for one condition is not the same as the physician treating the other condition, or if family doctors have changed. For instance, if a patient is being treated for arthritis and goes to a dermatologist for a skin condition that is later diagnosed as psoriasis, the two conditions may not be linked unless the patient reveals the presence of both conditions. And, due to the fact that many patients do not know about psoriatic arthritis, this dependency can cause a delay in diagnosis. Read more...

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