Sarcoidosis and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) are both immune-mediated, often multi-organ, diseases of uncertain etiology capable of presenting with diverse clinical manifestations. Many clinical features are common to both conditions, including hypergammaglobulinemia, the ability to form inflammatory masses and involvement of the lymph nodes, lacrimal glands, salivary glands, meninges and lungs. Although imaging modalities, such as…
The incidence of drug-induced lupus continues to rise as clinicians expand their therapeutic armamentarium. An estimated 15,000–30,000 cases of drug-induced lupus occur every year in the U.S. alone.1 It is a well-known, but rare, complication of commonly used medications, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-arrhythmic and anti-epileptic drugs, as well as biologic and immune checkpoint therapies.2,3 The…
SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, is a complex disease entity that continues to evolve. Physicians, researchers and scientists alike have worked tirelessly to tackle this beast in its short existence; however, we are reminded daily that there is more to this virus than meets the eye. It is well known that COVID-19 can cause acute respiratory failure…
The European Commission approved tofacitinib citrate to treat two pediatric conditions, as well as a prolonged-release version of the medication designed to treat adults with active PsA.
Pulmonary manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) include pleuritis, acute pneumonitis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, shrinking lung syndrome and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH). DAH is a rare, but devastating, complication of SLE, with high mortality rates. The incidence of DAH in SLE ranges from 0.6% to 5.4%, but the mortality rate…
In the early 1900s, the treatment for rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) was primarily targeted at symptomatic relief and included analgesics, physical therapy, splinting and bed rest. With the discovery of methotrexate and its impact on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management, a much-needed evolution of medications targeting disease activity began. Over the past 30 years, several…
Discovered more than 3,000 years ago, colchicine is one of the oldest drugs still in use today. Like most old remedies, colchicine is a chemical substance found in many plants, most notably in colchicum autumnale, known as wild saffron or autumn crocus. It was mentioned in the oldest Egyptian medical text, Ebers Papyrus (circa 1550…
Experts provide insights into spondyloarthropathy, temporomandibular joint involvement and imaging for pediatric patients with JIA.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Guselkumab may be effective in patients who have psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with axial symptoms, a post-hoc analysis of data from two randomized controlled trials suggests.1 “Because PsA is a heterogeneous disease that manifests as various symptoms, treatment choices should involve consideration of all relevant domains of disease for each individual patient,” researchers…
Experts provided an update on juvenile dermatomyositis, discussing patient care, treatment options and the pathogenesis of disease.