William J. Scheuing, MD, Nitasha Kumar, MD, William Davis, MD, & Robert Quinet, MD | Issue: February 2021 |
How to select the correct testing method and interpret conflicting results from antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody tests
“Worst of all is the pain in my calves,” she said. “It feels like burning deep inside.” So began my first encounter with a 69-year-old woman who was referred to rheumatology clinic for evaluation of two months of constitutional symptoms and a positive ANCA test, which had been ordered by her primary care doctor. Her…
Drug-induced lupus erythematosus and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are both autoimmune conditions associated with the use of hydralazine, a commonly prescribed drug for hypertension and congestive heart failure. Although the pathogenesis is unknown, it is believed that hydralazine alters neutrophil and lymphocyte function and promotes exposure of antigens, leading to the development of anti-neutrophil antibodies (ANCA)…
Rheumatologists face the emerging picture of cocaine and levamisole-associated vasculopathy in clinical practice