Conditions

Subcategories:Axial Spondyloarthritis Clinical Criteria/Guidelines Gout and Crystalline Arthritis Myositis Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders Other Rheumatic Conditions Pain Syndromes Pediatric Conditions Psoriatic Arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Sjögren’s Disease Soft Tissue Pain Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Systemic Sclerosis Vasculitis

Idiopathic Lung Fibrosis—Check for ANCA

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | November 30, 2015

New research recommends that doctors test the sera of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), as well as closely monitor this population for signs of lung vasculitis…

2015 ACR Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis & Rheumatology | November 30, 2015

“Treat to target regardless of disease activity level” tops the list of recommendations for both early and established RA in the 2015 Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The guideline addresses six major topics, including DMARDs, glucocorticoids and biologics, and includes 74 recommendations. These recommendations are not prescriptive, and the treatment decisions should be made by physicians and patients together…

Pulse-Echo Ultrasound Useful for Osteoporosis Screening

Will Boggs, MD | November 29, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Pulse-echo ultrasound is a useful method for point-of-care osteoporosis screening, researchers from Finland report. “To effectively increase diagnostic coverage, this kind of device should be in every primary or occupational healthcare unit,” Dr. Janne P. Karjalainen from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio tells Reuters Health by email. Currently, osteoporosis is…

SLE—It’s in the Genes

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | November 23, 2015

In a large-scale genome-wide association study, researchers mapped 10 new SLE-associated loci and found aberrantly regulated gene expression networks may be behind SLE development…

Autoimmune Diseases Common in Patients with Vitiligo

Will Boggs, MD | November 19, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients with vitiligo commonly have other autoimmune diseases, according to a cross-sectional study. “Vitiligo is a systemic disease with multiple comorbidities,” Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich., told Reuters Health by email. “The number of patients with neurologic diseases and inflammatory disease was much higher than we anticipated.”…

Diagnostic Clues, Tips Useful for Differentiating RA and Lyme Disease

David H. Neustadt, MD, MACR, FACP | November 17, 2015

RA vs. Lyme I am writing to comment on your interesting and useful article that appeared on the front page of the August issue of The Rheumatologist, “RA vs. Lyme,” by Charles Radis, DO. Arriving at a definite diagnosis of active RA early on is often not an easy task. The author of this article…

New Gout Criteria from the ACR/EULAR Focus on Clinical Trials, Global Standards

Susan Bernstein | November 17, 2015

Gout affects nearly 4% of American adults, causing joint inflammation, pain and crystal deposits that may lead to bone erosion over time. At least five different classification criteria for gout are used worldwide, creating potential discrepancies in clinical trial enrollment and eventual results. An international panel of investigators collaborated to create new, standardized gout classification…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Proper Coding for Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis

From the College | November 17, 2015

CPT: 99213, 73500-RT, 73500-LT ICD-10: M16.52 This E/M service entailed: The history is detailed; The examination is expanded problem focused; and The medical decision making is of low complexity. The X-ray reviewed was for radiologic examination, hip, unilateral: one view for the left hip and for the right hip. M16.52—The diagnosis identifies unilateral post-traumatic osteoarthritis…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Question: Coding for Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis

From the College | November 17, 2015

Post-Traumatic OA A 70-year-old female patient comes in for a follow-up visit for pain and stiffness in her left hip. She injured her hip in a skiing accident three years before and reports the X-rays at that time showed no fractures. Due to no obvious fracture at the time, she was given ibuprofen and advised…

Sjögrens Syndrome: The Need to Bridge Patient Symptoms & Objective Findings

Robert I. Fox, MD, PhD, & Carla M. Fox, RN | November 17, 2015

Despite a generation of advances in molecular biology, a huge gap exists between the Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) patient’s description of their symptoms and the objective findings. Current issues include: Many SS patients are misclassified as either rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), even within rheumatology clinics. Frequently, the sickest SS patients with extraglandular…