CHICAGO—Reproductive health can be a concern for patients with rheumatic diseases, and practitioners in both disciplines often work closely together. The Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases Guideline, a draft of new clinical recommendations developed by an ACR-convened group for pregnant women, post-menopausal women, lactating women, and women and men trying to conceive or…
One of my fellows could take better care of his patients if it weren’t for the attendings getting in his way. Or so he tells me. I can hear the howls of protest already. This statement isn’t fair—it is too broad, it doesn’t fairly depict the nuances of the situation or his point of view. First,…
Vasculitis is a group of chronic inflammatory diseases in which the blood vessel is the target of an immune reaction. They can be secondary to connective tissue disease, idiopathic or due to infection, neoplasm or drugs.1 Primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) is a rare syndrome characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis…
CHICAGO—Diagnostic and treatment tips on Sjögren’s syndrome from the experts at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
Palindromic rheumatism (PR) was first described in 1944 as “unique in its nature of recurrent, transient episodes of excruciatingly painful inflammation of articular and periarticular tissues, followed by periods without symptoms.”1 Unfortunately, it is becoming evident this entity is more frequent than we thought.2 PR is easily ignored or misdiagnosed due to its character (i.e.,…
I glanced up from Amanda Wolf’s chart as the emergency department nurse, followed by the lab technician (tech), followed by the electrocardiogram (ECG) tech flowed into cubicle No. 5. John Benner, MD, pulled up a chair to review the case with me at the nursing station. “Here’s what we’ve got. Thirteen-year-old girl with a one-week…
New research identifies how education designed to empower self-care and collaboration among providers, patients and family members can help patients with Sjögren’s syndrome manage their daily challenges and take back their lives…
AMSTERDAM—With new therapies coming into the marketplace, researchers are working to tease out the risk of infection for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Existing data suggest the risk of infections—even fatal ones—is real. But over time, improvements have taken hold, particularly for tuberculosis, according to an infectious disease expert at EULAR: the Annual European Congress of…
AMSTERDAM—Clinicians who are counseling women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have the benefit of an array of new insights into factors linked with increased risk of pregnancy loss, how SLE therapies affect pregnancy and data on outcomes of children born to mothers with SLE, an expert said in a session at EULAR: the Annual European…
A recent study found that baricitinib improved symptoms of arthritis and rash in patients with active SLE, while maintaining a safety profile consistent with previous findings…