ACR Convergence

PHILADELPHIA—The term pseudogout has been a source of confusion among rheumatologists, especially as our understanding of calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition (CPPD) disease has become more nuanced. This condition has many complex and interesting facets that warrant closer investigation. An ACR Convergence 2022 session sought to update the audience on the progress to date in developing… [Read More]

PHILADELPHIA—Ever since the seminal work of C. Lockard Conley, MD, in 1952 of the discovery of the lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been of great interest to rheumatologists, hematologists and many others. At ACR Convergence 2022, the session titled Draft ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria sought to summarize the rigorous process that went into… [Read More]

How does a rheumatologist treat a pregnant woman when many medications are not approved for pregnancy or safety data are limited?... [Read More]

With a shortage of rheumatologists looming, the committee is working to avert a void in patient care.... [Read More]

PHILADELPHIA—At ACR Convergence 2022, the much-anticipated ACR Review Course featured talks from eight experts. Topics reflected the heterogeneity of our field and included Sjögren’s disease, spondyloarthritis (SpA), osteoarthritis (OA), paraneoplastic rheumatic syndromes, metabolic bone disease, statin myopathy, Raynaud’s phenomenon and autoinflammatory syndrome. Here, I share highlights from this comprehensive, six-hour session. Sjögren’s Disease Sara S…. [Read More]

PHILADELPHIA—William “Bill” R. Palmer, MD, MACR, was the first board-certified rheumatologist in Omaha, Neb., where he spent his entire 43-year clinical career and established himself as a great clinician, mentor and educator. Although Dr. Palmer passed away from metastatic thyroid cancer in August 2021, his memory lives on through his physician colleagues and at ACR… [Read More]

This session provided both advice on providing clinical care and tips on the subtleties of terminology when interacting with trans & nonbinary or gender diverse patients.... [Read More]

PHILADELPHIA—One of the great advancements in the field of rheumatology in recent years has been the increased understanding of various stages of disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), including what is termed subclinical rheumatoid arthritis. However, questions remain regarding whether to treat patients with subclinical disease and whether treatment of these patients has implications in preventing… [Read More]

PHILADELPHIA—On Saturday, Nov. 12, at ACR Convergence 2022, Joan T. Merrill, MD, director of clinical projects in the Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City, gave a presentation on the future of drug development and treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She described how an in-depth understanding of… [Read More]

PHILADELPHIA—Since March 2020, the world has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rheumatologists must understand how to best protect and treat their patients with autoimmune conditions at risk for infection due to immunosuppressive therapy. At ACR Convergence 2022, the session titled, Latest COVID and Rheumatic Disease Therapies: What You Need to Know, provided… [Read More]