Hello, carraher-ga!
This search turned out to be far harder than I thought it would be!
Doctors who actually advertise as specialists in psoriatic arthritis
are very unusual. I imagine many of these physicians are actually
listed as dermatologists or rheumatologists.
It is also difficult to say with assurance that the physicians I
have mentioned are “experts.” Doctors don’t advertise themselves as
experts, and unless they are mentioned by peers as being experts in
the field, it is somewhat a matter of guesswork. Therefore, I
concentrated on finding physicians who were highlighted as being very
good in their field.
First of all, because it is extremely hard to narrow down physicians
who specifically treat psoriatic arthritis, I recommend that you order
the physician directory from the National Psoriasis Foundation. I was
hoping they would have a database of physicians online, but it didn’t
turn out to be!
Physician Resource Directory
This directory, published in May 2001, provides the names of
physicians, clinics and treatment centers throughout the United States
that care for people who have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. More
than 1,200 dermatologists and 680 rheumatologists are listed,
including their office hours, appointment phone numbers and the
treatments offered (for example, UVB and PUVA).
The directory is not an endorsement by the NPF of particular
physicians or medical facilities; it is meant as a starting point for
people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis who are seeking
treatment in their local area. Order from the website at:
http://www.psoriasis.org/npfservices.htm
I have managed to find a few physicians who stand out as specialists,
and two more in Philadelphia who are worth a call. This is all I have
been able to come up with after almost 6 hours of research, so the
specialized deliniation of that particular area of practice is
somewhat “hidden” within the guise of other specialties.
Just some general information as an overview before I get to the
references:
*************************************************************
Difficulty in Diagnosing may make it hard to find an Expert:
“Diagnosing psoriatic arthritis can be difficult for several reasons.
One problem is that you're considered to have psoriatic arthritis only
when you have symptoms of both psoriasis and arthritis. Yet in adults,
skin and joint problems rarely occur at the same time. You may have
psoriasis long before arthritic symptoms appear, or you may have
arthritis and not develop psoriasis for decades. It's even possible to
have joint pain — from osteoarthritis, for example — with psoriasis
and not have psoriatic arthritis.”
From “Psoriatic Arthritis.” Mayo Clinic online.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00476
What is Psoriatic Arthritis? By Kristin Birks.MARRTC (1/23/2003) at
http://www.muhealth.org/~arthritis/psorarth.html
Read article for the “Five Types of Psoriatic Arthritis.”
San Francisco
***************
John Y.M. Koo, M.D
515 Spruce St
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-476-4701
http://www.drjohnkoo.dermdex.net/index.html
Dr. Koo was a speaker at the National Psoriasis Foundation “Facing the
World Conference – 2001”. “Nearly 300 people from more than two dozen
states and 17 countries gathered in San Francisco June 22-24 at the
2001 NPF World Conference to share their experiences with psoriasis
and psoriatic arthritis and learn more about the diseases.”
http://www.psoriasis.org/wc2001/ .
Dr. Koo is an assistant professor and vice chairman of the Department
of Dermatology at the University of California-San Francisco. He is
the director of the UCSF Psoriasis Treatment Center and a member of
the NPF Medical Advisory Board.
http://www.psoriasis.org/wc2001/faculty.htm
There are other MD’s on the list who are not located in San Francisco
or Philadelphia, but you may want to scroll through the list of
presenters.
http://www.psoriasis.org/wc2001/faculty.htm
Berkley Orthopaedic Medical Group
The Arthritis Center
Johnathan B. Ellman, MD
Brian R. Kaye, MD
http://www.berkeleyortho.com/arth.html#bri
For office contact and directions -
http://www.berkeleyortho.com/offices.html
What do Rheumatologists treat?
“Rheumatologists treat arthritis, certain autoimmune diseases,
musculoskeletal pain disorders and osteoporosis. There are more than
100 types of these diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis,
osteoarthritis, gout, ***psoriatic arthritis***….”
http://www.berkeleyortho.com/arth.html#bri
**(Rheumatologists have great experience and are more likely to make
the proper diagnosis of the disease in its various forms which may be
easily confused with other diseases. Rheumatologists also have unique
experience in determining the optimal therapy for the patient's
psoriatic arthritis.)
From “Psoriatic Arthritis Fact Sheet.” American College of
Rheumatology.
http://www.rheumatology.org/patients/factsheet/psoriati.html
John C. Davis, Jr, MD, MPH, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Director, Clinical Trials Center
University of California at San Francisco
San Francisco, California
(I have seen this doctor mentioned in several articles. He is
primarily involved in medical research trials)
A recent excerpt from a conference where he was a presenter:
“The symposium faculty will address current knowledge on the use of
TNF inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis….”
http://www.discovery-intl.com/Discovery/calendar/10oct/12177.html
Philadelphia
************
Birgit Kovacs, MD
Division of Rheumatology
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Philadelphia, PA.
(reviewer of numerous articles on various forms of arthritis,
including psoriatic arthritis)
example: http://www.centralbap.com/adamcontent/ency/article/000413.asp
The next two recommendations are possibilities, as they are very
specialized:
William D. James, M.D.
Department of Dermatology/HUP/UPENN
3600 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 212-662-6153
Specialized Training:
Immunodermatology - diseases caused by immune system-related problems
Read Profile at http://www.aad.org/DermSP/DermSearch/profile.php?prof_id=42
John Roger Stanley, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Dermatology
3600 Spruce Street
2 Rhoads Pavillion
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-3626
Specialized Training:
Immunodermatology
Read Profile at http://www.aad.org/DermSP/DermSearch/profile.php?prof_id=43
Clinical Trials – Philadelphia
************************
Radiant Research
Einstein Center One
9880 Bustleton Ave., Suite 203
Philadelphia, PA 19115 USA
Phone: 215-671-1717
http://www.centerwatch.com/professional/pro680.html#5
Description of a clinical trial for Psoriatic Arthritis:
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/stu32344.html
Are you sure you won’t consider Chicago??????!!!!!
“Northwestern Opens First Specialized Psoriatic Arthritis Clinic.”
Northwestern News.(1/28/2002) at
http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/01_2002/psoraisis.html
“The nation’s first clinic devoted to providing specialized,
coordinated dermatologic and rheumatologic care to patients with
psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis has opened at Northwestern
University Medical School.”
* It might be worth calling them for a referral to a specialist in San
Francisco or Chicago
Additional Links and Information about Psoriasis Newsgroups at
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/medicine/psoriasis/ highlights some of the
problems I ran into:
“Where To Find a Dermatologist:”
“A given derm may be a very good doctor, but with primary expertise
and interest in something other than psoriasis. Therefore word of
mouth recommendation from a reliable source is almost always the best.
If that is not an option, try looking to local teaching hospitals,
which tend to be among the best sources for medical specialties
–particularly when you need a specialist among specialists, such as a
pediatric derm with psoriasis expertise. In the United States, the NPF
offers a Physician Resource Directory listing physicians who have
stated that they treat psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Inclusion in
the directory is not intended by the NPF as endoresement of any given
doctor. The American Academy of Dermatologists also has a
derm-locating source, but few listings make it clear if the derm has a
psoriasis specialty.”
I sincerely hope that the information I have provided you for you
will prove fruitful. If the specific doctors I mentioned are not
exactly what you are looking for, I would recommend either ordering
the Physician Resource Directory, or calling the National Psoriasis
Foundation at 800-723-9166. They may be able to tell you of some
experts over the phone. If you would prefer me to call, please let me
know in a clarification, and I will be more than happy to do that for
you.
If you need further information or if I have missed something
important, please let me know before rating this answer.
Take care
umiat
Google Search Strategy
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Philadelphia +physicians +psoriati |
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