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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Self-Assessment Protocol for Predicting Psoriatic Arthritis in Psoriasis Patients
02:28

Author Spotlight: Self-Assessment Protocol for Predicting Psoriatic Arthritis in Psoriasis Patients

Published on: March 1, 2024

579

Pseudoseptic Arthritis: An Initial Presentation of Underlying Psoriatic Arthritis

Prodip Paul1, Mishouri Paul2, Dipon Dey3

  • 1Internal Medicine, Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton, USA.

Cureus
|May 31, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Pseudoseptic arthritis mimics infection but is inflammation. This case highlights pseudoseptic arthritis as an initial sign of undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis, successfully treated with steroids.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Pseudoseptic arthritis presents as acute inflammatory monoarthritis, clinically indistinguishable from septic arthritis.
  • Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial for managing joint inflammation and preventing long-term damage.

Observation:

  • An 86-year-old male with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease presented with severe acute left knee pain.
  • Initial management included antibiotics for suspected septic arthritis, which was subsequently ruled out by negative synovial fluid cultures.

Findings:

  • The patient's condition rapidly improved following the timely initiation of corticosteroid therapy.
  • This case represents pseudoseptic arthritis as the initial manifestation of previously undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering pseudoseptic arthritis in the differential diagnosis of acute monoarthritis, especially in elderly patients with comorbidities.
  • Early recognition and appropriate treatment, such as corticosteroids, can lead to rapid symptom resolution and prevent unnecessary antibiotic use.
  • Highlights the potential for pseudoseptic arthritis to be an early indicator of underlying psoriatic arthritis, necessitating further rheumatological evaluation.
Keywords:
pseudoseptic arthritispsoriatic arthritisseptic arthritis

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