Getting aplaque psoriasisdiagnosis is straightforward.
Your healthcare provider takes your medical history and inquires about symptoms and overall health.
They may also want to know if youre under stress or had a recent illness.
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An accurate diagnosis guides your treatment and helps putplaque psoriasisinto remission.
Adermatologisttypically diagnoses and treats plaque psoriasis.
However, you may also need care from a rheumatologist because it is an autoimmune condition.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
A dermatologist treats the skin, while a rheumatologist treats the underlying autoimmune disease.
You’ll have flare-ups in which the symptoms suddenly appear and just as suddenly resolve.
Flares are followed by a period of remission when you don’t have symptoms.
You may have other symptoms with your psoriasis.
For example, joint pain, thick and irregular nails, andblepharitis(eyelid inflammation) commonly develop.
It’s also essential to gettreatmentthat can help put psoriasis into remission.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Medical History
A medical history is an important part of the diagnostic process.
It identifies your individual risks for plaque psoriasis and helps diagnose conditions that may co-occur with the disease.
After completing your medical history, your provider learns about your symptoms.
Physical Examination
The physical exam will mainly involve the visual and manual inspection of the skin lesions.
The aim of the exam is to determine whether the physical characteristics of your condition are consistent with psoriasis.
An eye exam may also be performed to see if the eyelids,conjunctiva, or corneas are affected.
Labs and Tests
There are no blood tests that can diagnose plaque psoriasis.
Medical imaging is also not a part of the diagnostic process.
However, your provider may run allergy tests if they suspect your rash is resulting from allergic orcontact dermatitis.
This magnified view reveals characteristics of psoriatic skin cells.
Unlike eczema or healthy skin cells, psoriatic skin cells are thickened and compressed (acanthotic).
They may also do a biopsy after starting treatment if your symptoms don’t improve.
The area of skin is rated by percentage from 0% to 100%.
All other values are rated on a scale of 0 to 4, with 4 being the most severe.
Plaques may appear purple, brown, or ashen gray on dark-skinned individuals.
The PASI measurements direct the appropriate treatment and track your response to therapy.
This is especially important since there are no lab or imaging tests to support a plaque psoriasis diagnosis.
The differential diagnosis begins during your physical exam.
As your provider examines your skin, they look for signs of other types of psoriasis.
While each has similar disease pathways, they have different characteristics and may have different treatment approaches as well.
They might also do tests to determine if you have health conditions that often occur with plaque psoriasis.
New York University Langone Health.Diagnosing psoriasis.
American Academy of Dermatology.Psoriasis: signs and symptoms.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is blepharitis?
American Academy of Dermatology.Psoriasis causes.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol.
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2019 Dec 31;12:953-959. doi:10.2147/CCID.S189000.
National Psoriasis Foundation.Erythrodermic psoriasis.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Generalized pustular psoriasis.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Guttate psoriasis.
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