Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), also known as Churg-Strauss syndrome or allergic granulomatosis and angiitis, is a rare small- and medium-vessel vasculitis. This disease was first described by American pathologists Jacob Churg and Lotte Strauss in 1951.1 Although the vasculitis is often not apparent in the initial phases of the disease, EGPA can affect any…
Over the past few years, biosimilars and other new drugs have been introduced to treat rheumatic illnesses. Some of the conditions we treat have numerous drug options, others have few or only off-label options. This series, “Rheumatology Drugs at a Glance,” provides streamlined information on the administration of biologic, biosimilar and small molecule inhibitor drugs…
It happens all the time. We can see it coming—that quizzical look or the hesitant nod after someone asks what we do for a living. We are so accustomed to the next question that we often provide the answer before someone even has a chance to ask it: “What’s a rheumatologist?” The ACR has long…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is more effective than treatment as usual for improving function and other outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia, according to a new randomized trial. MBSR is an extension of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intended to help patients change the way they experience symptoms, Dr. Albert Feliu-Soler of the Institut de…
Secukinumab therapy proved safe and effective for psoriatic arthritis patients with multiple co-morbidities and long treatment histories, according to recent research…
The ACR is known for excellence in rheumatology education—and 2019 will be no exception. This year’s annual meeting offers innovative session formats and user-friendly, interactive approaches to learning…
CHICAGO—Although medical treatments for addiction have been proved effective, they are not used often enough, said Kenneth Stoller, MD, during a session at the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, held April 5–7. These treatments bring health benefits that extend beyond addiction, he said. Dr. Stoller, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins…
When Liz Morasso, LCSW, facilitates a Families Living with Rheumatic Diseases support group at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, she empathizes with the struggles and challenges of her young patients. Ms. Morasso was only 16 years old when she was diagnosed with both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). She knows all too well…
A 53-year-old man was hospitalized for pericarditis, abdominal lymphadenopathy of unknown origin and non-bloody diarrhea. He was admitted for four days, and then he was discharged home without incident. Two months after his initial presentation, he was readmitted for the evaluation of several new issues, including symmetric arthralgias, hypovolemia with associated electrolyte abnormalities and concurrent…
A 52-year-old man living in greater Boston with a history of hypertension presented at our rheumatology clinic with bilateral knee pain and swelling. He had been in his usual state of health until four months earlier when he developed right knee pain and swelling without an incipient trauma, which did not improve with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory…