Study on Acral Pustulosis and Psoriatic Arthritis in a Young Lady

Abstract

Psoriasis is uncommon in this part of the world, and the pustular variety is extremely rarer.. As a result, patients are frequently misdiagnosed by their doctors and present late to dermatologists, when issues have already developed.  We discuss the case of a 33-year-old woman who came to us with a two-year history of pustular eruptions on her hands and feet, pain and swelling in the affected joints, and subsequent abnormalities.Prior to her presentation, she had been misdiagnosed with skin tuberculosis and leprosy at several hospitals and treated as such with no effectiveness. A skin biopsy was performed when the patient was shown to us, and the tissue was sent for histopathology.She was diagnosed with pustular psoriasis and prescribed oral methotrexate. Except for the joint deformities, she reacted well to treatment and the lesions cleared up in a few weeks. This case illustrates the difficulties faced by psoriasis patients in a resource-constrained setting like ours, as well as the relevance of affordable medications like methotrexate in their treatment. This is especially true given the high cost and lack of availability of more advanced biologic drugs in this region.