Maura Daly Iversen Named Catherine Worthingham Fellow by APTA Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, SD, MPH, FNAP, FAPTA, associate editor of The Rheumatologist, was recently named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow—the highest honor among the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) membership categories. According to the award announcement, Worthingham “motivated others to make an impact within the…
The Case A 68-year-old woman with a past medical history of Charcot-Marie-Tooth presents with thickening of the skin on her trunk and extremities, which she has had for the past seven months (see Figures 1 and 2). Her symptoms first began with swelling of her bilateral upper and lower extremities. She is now having difficulty…
Scleroderma is a rare rheumatologic autoimmune disease that affects the skin and can also affect other organs. Due to excess formation of scar tissue, blood flow to the extremities is decreased, primarily to the hands, and tissues often become hypoxic, resulting in sclerodactyly and proximal skin involvement.2 The incidence of scleroderma in the U.S. is…
In 1984, I wrote my first prescription for the antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), for a 28-year-old woman with SLE. She was considerably overweight, with inflammatory arthritis and a photosensitive rash, and I worried that oral corticosteroids would tip her over into diabetes. I presented the case to my attending, Steven Malawista, MD, at the Yale…
Incident-to Billing Case Scenario A 51-year-old female patient returns for a follow-up visit with a physician assistant (PA) for unilateral primary osteoarthritis of her right knee. She had an intraarticular corticosteroid injection of her right knee six weeks prior to her visit. She reports significant improvement in her knee pain and stiffness, and states the…
Plus, updates on arhalofenate, ALO-02, and other rheumatology drug news, safety information
Recognizing, reducing risk of bone fractures in pediatric patients with rheumatic disease, taking glucocorticoid therapy
Review of clinical research on methotrexate therapy, effect on patients’ functionality, tolerability, adverse events
Tips to screen for, treat central or peripheral nervous system disorders, lymphoma in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome
Recognizing psychological effects of chronic conditions can help rheumatologists implement multidisciplinary approach to patient care