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…
Monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition commonly occurs within the distal appendicular skeleton. The peripheral nature of gout is a hallmark feature described in the ACR and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) clinical practice guidelines.1 In this article, we report a rare presentation of a common disease: a case of axial gouty arthropathy masquerading as…
Research into lupus treatments suffered a setback after the failure of anifrolumab in clinical trials. However, during the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Richard Furie, MD, outlined the possibilities of multiple new lupus therapies under investigation…
The popularity of natural dietary supplements has grown worldwide, with many adults using them to manage musculoskeletal conditions. But for RA patients, little is known about the risk of side effects and potential adverse drug interactions when taking these supplements with standard RA therapies. New research examined the supplement use patterns of RA patients…
An integral part of the rheumatology care team, social workers can address specific issues related to a patient’s overall wellbeing. Here are some insights into how rheumatologists can better partner with social workers as part of the interdisciplinary team to ensure better patient outcomes…
“Hi, I’m Dr. Kumar, and I’m an allergist,” is something I sometimes fumble when I introduce myself to confused rheumatology patients, before I quickly correct myself with, “… well, I’m also a rheumatologist.” There’s a moment of slight embarrassment that I crossed my circuits, but otherwise I’m proud to say I’m certified in both. This…
A new study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, published in the September 2018 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, identifies risk factors and clinical features associated with severe gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility in patients with systemic sclerosis.1 The findings suggest a distinct pathological process may be at work in this patient group, says lead…
Paul Sufka Named Social Media Editor for New ACR Twitter Account A clinical rheumatologist with HealthPartners in St. Paul, Minn., Paul Sufka, MD, is conversant with social media: he’s been on Twitter for almost 10 years; has hosted an online rheumatology podcast; and blogs about physician self-care and using Twitter as a tool at medical…
The Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) was launched in 2014 as a public-private partnership to spur development of new therapeutic options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Five years in, this unprecedented public-private effort is achieving its major milestones and yielding tools to accelerate potential new drug discoveries. The Rheumatology Research Foundation is…
Presentation A 30-year-old woman presented to her rheumatologist for left foot pain of three weeks’ duration. She was followed for systemic lupus erythematosus manifesting in arthritis and hemolytic anemia, as well as anti-nuclear antibody and Smith antibody positivity, and was treated with hydroxychloroquine and prednisone in the 2.5–10 mg per day range. She was symptom…