Who would you believe?

[chatenoire]

I have a skin problem. GP 1 gave me a fairly serious diagnosis that in an ideal world should be confirmed with a biopsy. GP 2 downgraded it to plain eczema. Dermatologist (via photos) changed it to inverse psoriasis. I tend to agree with the dermatologist, but I'm kind of iffy as she didn't see me in person. I've had three different diagnoses all fairly different from each other. At the very least it makes me distrust the GP surgery as they both got it wrong... (The FB group specialised in the condition I was originally diagnosed with thinks I should demand a biopsy, but I don't think I even have enough evidence to ask for one!)

I'm in the west country, happy to travel to Bristol/ Bath

Was your GP's original diagnosis lichen sclerosus, by any chance? If so, I would be inclined to listen to your dermatologist. Inverse psoriasis and lichen sclerosus can be very similar, but to a trained eye (eg the eye of a dermatologist) there are signs that might point to one or the other.

If you're concerned that you might have been misdiagnosed, though, then I think it would be perfectly reasonable to return the first GP you saw and ask for another referral so a dermatologist can consider both possibilities and potentially investigate further.

I wouldn’t have the confidence to believe any of them. Is it something that can/should be formally diagnosed by a GP?

I’d want to be seeing a specialist and following the correct diagnostic route.

Yes it was!! I never thought I really had it, no symptoms related to it (so no white patches, it isn't that itchy..) but of course the first GP planted the seed....

Apparently if they're "confident enough" they can...

You've posted about this before ? It's familiar

Yes I have, when I was given diagnosis #2.