Rheumatologists can posit ively impact patientsbeyond diagnosing and treating musculoskeletaldisorders. All patients suffer dermatologic condi-tions at some time; the first organ we see during a physicalexamination is the skin. Cutaneous malignancies affectnearly one third of the population; a rheumatologist'sexamination may be the first opportunity to diagnose skincancer. Common inflammatory disorders may be mistakenfor infectious processes. With an increasing number ofpatients on immunosuppressive therapies, distinguishingdermatitis from cellulitis is important. Moreover, derma-tologic assessments may assist in the diagnosis of rheuma-tologic diseases, for example, connective tissue diathesesand psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Rheumatologists have addi-tional opportunities to reduce morbidity and mortality byrecognizing certain dermatologic conditions
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