Scleroderma is a rare rheumatologic autoÂimmune 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…
Recognizing, reducing risk of bone fractures in pediatric patients with rheumatic disease, taking glucocorticoid therapy
Studies explore role of STING pathway in bone remodeling, denosumab to reduce fracture risk, autotaxin’s role in fibrosis, SSc
Questions around prescribing steroids as bridge therapy, in long-term low dosages, or low-dose timed-release formulas, or not at all evoke controversy among rheumatologists
Six-week treatment regimen returns same results as 12 weeks in recent study, although researchers caution findings may not apply to all patients with vertebral osteomyelitis
Research collaboration among scientists, pharmaceutical companies, nonprofits promotes precompetitive sharing of data collection, analyses
New studies clarify the roles of monosodium urate crystals in gout, calcium pyrophosphate crystals in osteoarthritis, and identify more effective potential therapies for patients
Guidelines give greater nod to use of combination conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for rheumatoid arthritis, leave monotherapy with methotrexate as acceptable first-line treatment
With no single therapy effective for chronic low back pain, physicians must try multiple therapeutic approaches, nonsurgical options
The ability to differentiate the types of pain affiliated with rheumatic diseases can help rheumatologists better diagnose and treat patients