Introduction to Rheumatology Labs

Unlike many other areas of medicine, in rheumatology, labs are rarely accurate enough confirm or exclude a diagnosis of a disease. Even biopsies may not be specific enough to make a confident diagnosis. 

For this reasons, diagnoses are made on the judgement of an experienced clinician based on the history, examination, basic labs and x-rays with some additional input from the "rheumatology labs." 

Understandably, many patients and physicians are confused when rheumatologists tell them they don't have a disease when the test for that disease is positive. In truth, there is no "lupus test" or "rheumatoid arthritis test". The tests that are often called that are frequently positive in patients who do not have these diseases and people with these diseases often have negative tests.

Basic Labs

pending

Inflammatory Markers

pending

Serologies

pending