Over time, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can lead to considerable organ damage. Preventing this outcome is complicated by a scarcity of treatment options that can drive the disease into remission and by the side effects of existing therapies, such as prednisone and other corticosteroids, which may themselves contribute to the long-term damage. The largest study…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous, autoimmune, inflammatory, connective tissue disease affecting multiple organs. Neither central nervous system nor peripheral nervous systems are spared. The neurologic system is involved in a wide range of 10–80% of patients with SLE. Peripheral neuropathy, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and its variants, can occur in neurologic complications…
The disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) went through many different stages of classification before reaching the modern criteria reflecting our current understanding of its pathogenesis. In 1872, the Viennese dermatologist Moriz Kaposi, MD, published a paper, “New Contributions to Knowledge of Lupus Erythematosus,” which provided a significant leap forward in the characterization of this…
Uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea, which comprises the iris, ciliary body and choroid. Uveitis can lead to ocular damage and complete visual loss. Noninfectious etiologies for uveitis are the most common in the U.S.1 The estimated incidence of uveitis ranges from 25–52 per 100,000 in adults and five per 100,000 in children. The…
I attended medical school in the 1960s, when Dr. Lawrence Weed reinvented the medical record to organize and leverage the physician’s patient evaluation for clarity and quality of care—what he dubbed “the problem-oriented medical record.”1,2 My internal medicine house officer training at Massachusetts General placed a high value on efficient, effective medical records and communication…
In our fast-paced world, a great deal can happen in 12 months. Reflecting on this past year and my service as ACR president, I find this has certainly been the case. For the foreseeable future, it appears the factors that influence our ability to effectively care for our patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease will…
“Men work harder than women.” My mother is a pediatrician, and I have two sisters—one is a dermatologist, and one is a real estate attorney. Therefore, I think understandably, this message took me by surprise. Of late, I have been particularly awed by my lawyer-sister, with whom I catch up when she is taking the…
I glanced up from Amanda Wolf’s chart as the emergency department nurse, followed by the lab technician (tech), followed by the electrocardiogram (ECG) tech flowed into cubicle No. 5. John Benner, MD, pulled up a chair to review the case with me at the nursing station. “Here’s what we’ve got. Thirteen-year-old girl with a one-week…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Republicans could try again to repeal Obamacare if they win enough seats in U.S. elections next month, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday, calling a failed 2017 push to repeal the healthcare law a “disappointment.” In a forecast of 2019 policy goals tempered by uncertainty about who will win the congressional elections,…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Heredity plays a substantially larger role than diet in determining serum urate levels, according to new findings in BMJ. Nearly 25% of the variation in serum urate is attributable to common genetic variants, while dietary pattern explained less than 1%, Dr. Tanya J. Major of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New…