Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare condition characterized by aberrant fibroinflammatory tissue developing in the retroperitoneum. This disorder was initially called Ormond’s disease. RPF may be idiopathic or secondary to other conditions. Idiopathic RPF is a part of the disease spectrum of chronic periaortitis due to its typical periaortoiliac localization. Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis is a…
Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis that typically affects medium-sized muscular arteries. The clinical subsets of PAN are idiopathic, generalized, secondary hepatitis B virus (HBV) associated and cutaneous PAN. These clinical subsets are important because of their therapeutic implications. Virtually any organ system can be affected in generalized PAN, but this vasculitis tends…
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-programmed cell-death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-1/PD-L1) or anti-CTL-associated protein (anti-CTLA-4), have dramatically changed the treatment of advanced cancers over the past decade. ICIs block T cell inhibition, thus increasing the anti-tumor immune response. ICIs are used not only for metastatic cancer, but also as adjuvant treatment for some stage…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2021—Rheumatology patients who test positive for COVID-19 would benefit from early use of monoclonal antibodies, said Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth), Houston, in a session about effective treatment options for COVID-19. Acknowledging that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has already…
Patients who have undergone a kidney transplant and have high levels of serum uric acid symptomatic gout may benefit from treatment with pegloticase, according to a recent study.
Laura Hummers, MD, MSc, provided an update on the extra-pulmonary manifestations of scleroderma & the best ways to approach management of these issues.
ACR CONVERGENCE 2021—Hematologic abnormalities are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), whether due to SLE itself or something else. As rheumatology professionals, we are routinely challenged by the management of cytopenias in our SLE patients. At the ACR’s annual meeting in 2021, two hematologists shared expert advice regarding common hematologic manifestations of SLE. Michael B….
New concepts in autoimmunity & immunology are being discovered daily in research being conducted to understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its implications for rheumatology & all fields of medicine. Here are some insights shared by experts during day 1 of the Basic and Clinical Research Conference.
The Basic and Clinical Research Conference session on Rheumatology Complications of Emerging Viral Infections/SARS-CoV-2 presented findings from numerous studies that help explain some of the idiosyncrasies of COVID-19.
Large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia is a rare, chronic, lymphoproliferative disorder of cytotoxic T cell or natural killer cell lineage with an annual incidence of 0.72 cases per 1 million people in the U.S.1 The most common subÂtype of LGL leukemia, T-LGL leukemia, follows an indolent disease course and accounts for approximately 85% of cases….