Doctors have had few options to treat the chronic rheumatoid arthritis-like symptoms associated with chikungunya virus infections beyond over-the-counter pain relievers. A recent study in Science Translational Medicine has spurred new optimism by finding that a combination therapy—the anti-rheumatic drug abatacept paired with a chikungunya-neutralizing monoclonal antibody—abolished acute symptoms in infected mice.1 The strategy must…
An 82-year-old female established patient diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in multiple joints returns to the office for her second infliximab infusion. She denies any fevers, cough or concurrent illness. Her joint pain is 7 on a scale of 1–10. She complains of achy pain in the cervical, lumbar and sacral regions of her spine. She…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous disease associated with multiple acute or chronic cutaneous manifestations, including the relatively rare category of bullous lupus. The development of vesiculo-bullous lesions may be associated with a high morbidity, hence they warrant an urgent investigation, including a skin biopsy to identify the diagnosis and initiate prompt treatment. With…
Case Presentation The patient was a 42-year-old African American female diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based on the findings of polyarthritis, malar and discoid rash, fatigue, positive double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) ribonucleoprotein and Smith antibodies, and low serum complement levels. Her SLE had been well controlled on hydroxychloroquine 400 mg daily, oral methotrexate 25 mg…
A 56-year-old African American man presents to the emergency department with polyarthralgias and a fever of 103ºF. One month prior to admission, he presented with right knee pain and swelling. Blood cultures grew S. epidermidis. He was treated for presumed septic arthritis complicated by MSSE bacteremia. He was treated with meropenem and a prolonged course…
Case A 46-year-old Caucasian female presented to the outpatient rheumatology clinic where she had been followed for several years. Her chief complaint was pain in her right knee, posterior right thigh and right hip that had begun gradually over the previous three weeks. Her past medical history was significant for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), obesity and…
A 13-year-old black male, described by his mother as a very active and energetic child, is referred to a pediatric rheumatologist. His chief complaint is muscle pain in both legs, which he has experienced for the past three weeks. His mother is a patient of an adult rheumatologist at this clinic and is quite concerned….
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ongoing investigation into the disease mechanisms of inflammatory myopathies is generating needed information for the development of potential future therapeutic targets, and current data from clinical trials have shed light on myopathy concerns in different cohorts of patients. These issues were all discussed in a session titled Muscle Biology, Myositis, and Myopathies I during…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Experts speaking at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting session, Update on Small-Vessel Vasculitis, offered insight into the latest approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases involving the inflammation of blood vessels. “Vasculitis is an immune-mediated process. White blood cells invade the vessel wall, causing inflammation throughout the vessel wall,” said Jason M. Springer,…
Throughout their training and practice, physicians become adept at pattern recognition as a means to efficiently connect and synthesize seemingly disparate laboratory, physical exam, and radiologic and historical findings into a coherent theory for what likely ails the patient sitting in front of them. This inductive method of reasoning is necessary because, based on these…