From the first substantial argument in the 19th century that uric acid played a role in gout, it took about 100 years for the medical community to accept its role in triggering acute inflammatory gout attacks. Two papers, both published in 1962, helped demonstrate the link between uric acid and acute gout attacks, quickly opening…
In late August, leaders of state and local rheumatology societies from across the nation connected with each other and with ACR president Ken Saag, MD, in a roundtable-style meeting. State and local rheumatology leaders shared local updates, successes and challenges and discussed ACR initiatives.
Calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease (CPPD) is an arthritis caused by the accumulation of calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Despite a prevalence of 4–7% among the adult population in Europe and the U.S., it has remained a relatively under-recognized disease owing to its many clinical presentations.1 CPPD may cause an acute mono/oligoarthritis, which may mimic gout or…
Saddle Nose & Cauliflower Ear Deformities in Relapsing Polychondritis These images depict a 32-year-old man who presented with five weeks of left-sided hearing loss, weight loss and discomfort in the nose, ear, chest wall and knee. He had an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 120 mm/hr, and a C-reactive protein level of 225.4 mg/L. The…
My long-standing patient with CRST syndrome (i.e., calcinosis cutis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, sclerodactyly and telangiectasia) had been losing ground over the past 18 months. BL was 54 and had developed restrictive pulmonary disease without radiographic pulmonary infiltrates. Her mean right heart pressures were moderately elevated by ultrasonography. But the greatest impact on her quality of life…
As a dermatologist/internist with a career-long subspecialty interest in the cutaneous manifestations of the rheumatic diseases, I found the case of refractory acute cutaneous lupus by Samantha C. Shapiro, MD, in the June 2022 issue of The Rheumatologist intriguing in several ways, and I felt my perspectives on this case might provide additional educational value…
The glassblowers were in revolt. The island of Murano, in the 13th century, was a perfect home for the glassblowing industry. Connected to Venice through a system of bridges, Murano was surrounded by waters that protected the city from the furnaces that fueled the glassblowers’ craft. The Republic of Venice dominated trade throughout the Mediterranean,…
Developing instructional sessions or courses for delivery in online (i.e., asynchronous, not live) or remote (i.e., synchronous, live) learning environments rests on a foundation of traditional instructional design and active learning concepts. Successful online/remote instruction interprets those foundational concepts through technological and multimedia components. For example, the ADDIE instructional design model may be interpreted: Analyze—determine…
RheumPAC has been working to ensure that individual legislators understand what rheumatology practices and patients face when it comes to delivering high quality care to those with rheumatic diseases and advocating for policies to support affordability of care, workforce expansion, prior authorization reform and fair reimbursement levels.
In recent months, the ISC has engaged with payers to reduce administrative burden on practices and continues to advocate to the CMS for the use of complex administration codes for biologics.