The doctor will ask about a person's symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. It will include an exam of skin and nails to look for signs of the disease. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.
Sometimes psoriasis can look like other skin problems. If the diagnosis is uncertain, a skin biopsy may be done to confirm it. It takes a small sample of skin for testing. This is not common.
References
Psoriasis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/psoriasis. Accessed March 25, 2022.
Psoriasis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin diseases. Available at: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/psoriasis. Accessed March 25, 2022.
Psoriasis resource center. American Academy of Dermatology website. Available at: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/psoriasis. Accessed March 25, 2022.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Daniel A. Ostrovsky, MD
- Review Date: 11/2021
- Update Date: 03/25/2022