Racial Differences Identified in Frequency of Biopsy for Psoriasis
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2024 -- There are racial differences in the frequency of skin biopsy for psoriasis, indicating diagnostic uncertainty, according to a research letter published online Aug. 7 in JAMA Dermatology.
Fahad Ahmed, from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study involving adults seen in outpatient dermatology clinics to examine skin biopsy frequency, as an indicator of diagnostic uncertainty, by race and ethnicity among patients with psoriasis. A total of 10,008 patients were included in the study.
The researchers found that 4.8 percent of patients received a skin biopsy for psoriasis. Skin biopsies were performed most frequently among Black patients (9.8 percent), followed by Asian or other Pacific Islander, White, unknown race, Hispanic, and other race patients (4.7, 4.1, 4.0, 3.7, and 1.61 percent, respectively). Compared with White patients, Black patients had significantly higher odds of receiving a skin biopsy for psoriasis in analyses adjusted for sociodemographic and health care utilization factors (odds ratio, 2.03). In sensitivity analyses that evaluated both narrower and broader definitions of a skin biopsy for psoriasis, the findings were robust.
"These findings add to the limited literature on diagnostic uncertainty by patient race and ethnicity in the clinical setting; they confirm similar findings from a small prior study and provide important granularity on the association between specific racial and ethnic groups and the likelihood of skin biopsy for psoriasis," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2024
Read this next
Rebound Weight Gain Common After Discontinuing Antiobesity Medications
FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 -- Antiobesity medications (AOMs) yield weight loss during use, followed by weight regain after discontinuation of treatment, according to a review published...
Patients Face High Out-of-Pocket Costs After Incident Cancer Diagnosis
FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 -- Patients face high out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs) after an incident diagnosis of cancer, with costs increasing with stage of diagnosis, according to a study...
Exposure to PFAS Mixtures Linked to Increased Odds of Type 2 Diabetes
FRIDAY, July 25, 2025 -- In multiethnic populations, exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) mixtures may be associated with increased odds of type 2 diabetes (T2D)...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.