Synovitis, psoriasis, other med problems?

here is my problem- I have a slew of medical issues-from fatigue,always having respiratory illness and joint pain on my entire left side, to what i JUST realized were psoriasis patches on my neck (i had them in the past. havent seen them this entire year), as well as other issues- These being the main ones.I've taken numerous xrays, MRIs and blood tests. ONE blood test (my 1st) showed I had a positive ANA...a weak positive. Subsequent tests all came back negative for lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc etc...everything comes back negative...at different dr's, labs, etc... Recently, my left ring finger became extremely swollen after what felt like loss of circulation on my left arm...I was diagnosed with synovitis-which the doctor's have NO clue why I have this being that its usually only present in people with an autoimmune disease (which I have alot of symptoms of, but no lab work to justify it). Any idea what may be going on with me? I will begin taking the medrol pack (5 days) next wk

does this sound like any ailment that perhaps my doctors are not looking into? They tell me I am a "medical mystery", but I think they may just be incompetent.

hi, First according to the autoimmune association psoriasis is an autoimmune condition of the skin, so you do have one. I have Lupus, own a Lupus support/message board, and do most of the research for the group. I like you have had weak positive and negative ANA's over the years. Some other blood tests will come and go pos to neg. depending on disease activity. There are so many connective tissue autoimmune's that it is hard to say which one you may have.
There is off the top of my head, Lupus, Sjorgrens, Mixed connective Tissue disease, Raynunds, Polymyalgia Rhumatica, RA and others. Many take a while to progress. and most have a certain number of diagnostic critera you must meet before you can be diagnosed with it for sure. Like with lupus you must meet four of 11 critera. My MRIS come back Negative, but just got off chemotherapy for brain Cerabritis (swelling of brain, which dosent show in MRI's Etc. so it's all tricky, and depends how good your rhuemotologist is, and one at UCLA told me it is a bit of an art, not a full science. It can also take a bit of time to get a full picture, so they can get a history, and see what else happens.

I understand the not knowing is the hardest part. the scariest part, it took me 5 years, though I was ill from the age of 13. we saw drs, then stopped, it was before the critera was even out. That came out in 1982. I was diagnosed in my late 20's Im now 40. The medrol pack, may help, if they gave it to you, they are testing to see if there is any relief. any changes. that is good. My fingers will swell for a bit and go back down too, that is a sign of an auto immune, so are symptoms that come than leave to never return. I suggest you write down anything from the past that you can think of, because all these problems do NOT have to occur all at one time.Even deppression counts in a diagnosis of Lupus. Central Nervous system problems, Skin Issues, I will put the diagnostic critera for you to see.

The pattern of that ANA test you need to find out too. ask if it was speckled. There are several others, but that is mine and the one I can think of that goes with Lupus usually. They should test your blood monthly, but the medrol, can change the results. you also need what is called a SED rate, which can tell dr's how much inflammation is in your body, it has other names, westergreen is one. it depends on the lab, and where you live. ask for it. before you take the medrol pack. Circulation is also an issue. Here at least is the Lupus Critera so you can think of past history

Diagnostic criteria for lupus
The following criteria are used to distinguish lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) from other autoimmune and rheumatic diseases.

A person with 4 of these 11 conditions can be diagnosed with lupus; 3 symptoms suggest that lupus is probably present, and 2 raise the possibility of lupus. Symptoms may be present all at once or appear in succession over a period of time. 1

Butterfly (malar) rash on cheeks
Rash on face, arms, neck, torso (discoid rash)
Skin rashes that result from exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light (photosensitivity)
Mouth or nasal ulcers, usually painless
Joint swelling, stiffness, pain involving two or more joints (arthritis)
Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the lungs (pleuritis) or heart (pericarditis). This inflammation is called serositis.
Abnormalities in urine, such as increased protein or clumps of red blood cells or kidney cells, called cell casts, in the urine
Nervous system problems, such as seizures or psychosis, without known cause
Problems with the blood, such as reduced numbers of red blood cells (anemia), platelets, or white blood cells
Positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test
Signs of increased autoimmunity (antibodies against normal tissue), as shown by laboratory tests

Synovitis is seen with arthritis, and there is a well known association with psoriasis and arthritis. Is the specialist you are seeing a rheumatologist?

Early in my career, I worked in a pediatric rheumatology clinic, and there were many patients that had arthritis but did not fit one of the standard rheumatologic or auto-immune diseases.

I cannot testify to the competence of your doctors, but I can tell you that diagnosing these conditions can be most difficult.