Understanding rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) is an understandably tall order for the lay public, what with the huge number of conditions and the complex—and often little understood—processes involved. Now, a working group of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the ACR has set out to try to correct this problem with a definition…
Fifteen women and men seated around a conference table in a New York City hospital listen intently to one of their peers. A 40-year-old elementary school teacher shares her challenges related to the intersection of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the responsibilities of a demanding job.* With the support and counsel of fellow group members, the…
Recent research found 41% of pediatric patients with SLE are affected by at least mild disability, with higher pain scores correlating with increased disability. Mary Beth Son, MD, says determining how these children feel and what affects them daily is vital to “identifying targets we can hit as clinicians to improve their quality of life.”
Behçet’s disease is a chronic, relapsing and remitting vasculitis with multisystem involvement. Commonly referred to as the Silk Road disease due to its prevalence in the Asian and Mediterranean region of the traditional Silk Road, Behçet’s was first described by Hippocrates as a triad of symptoms—genital and oral ulcers with uveitis—and attributed to links with…
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) was first described in the British Medical Journal in 1897 by Scottish otolaryngologist Peter McBride.1 GPA is a relatively rare, systemic necrotizing vasculitis that can make diagnosis challenging. The incidence has been estimated anywhere between two and 12 cases per million.2 GPA mainly affects adults between the ages of 45 and…
“Wait. I can explain.” One could imagine this phrase coming up under many conditions in daily life. When I first became a physician, however, I would never have expected to use this phrase in my clinic. In medical school, I was taught the importance of dialogue in establishing a relationship with a patient. Statistics indicate…
A 54-year-old woman is establishing care in your clinic after retirement of her previous rheumatologist. Your review of her records suggests that she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus seven years ago on the basis of symptoms of body pain and fatigue, and serologic evidence of positive ANA 1:40 (speckled) and borderline anti-SSB antibody. She…
FDA to Review Abuse-Deterrent Oxycodone Capsule In June, the FDA will discuss the New Drug Application for Remoxy ER at an Advisory Committee meeting. Remoxy ER is a 12-hour, abuse-deterrent, extended-release oxycodone in a capsule formulation.1 The capsule contains a sticky, thick, high-viscosity formulation to deter unapproved drug administration routes, including injection, smoking or snorting….
In your daily contact with rheumatology patients, you likely come across several who have type 1 or 2 diabetes. Are you doing all you can to maximize their treatment? Most physicians know about the damaging health effects of uncontrolled diabetes. From vision loss to kidney failure to nerve damage, those with diabetes require regular vigilance…
Rheumatologists often rely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of suspected muscular diseases. Here, we describe a case in which unexpected findings on MRI pointed to a diagnosis rarely considered as a mimicker of rheumatologic disease. The Case A 19-year-old man of Middle Eastern descent was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of…