Articles By Eric Dein, MD
Looking for RA-ILD: 9 Clinical Clues from ANCHOR-RA
Which of our RA patients will develop interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), and how can we better identify these patients? In abstract #2884 at 2026 ACR Convergence, Dr. Jeffrey Sparks presented findings from ANCHOR-RA trial, a large prospective cross-sectional study evaluating risk factors for ILD in at-risk patients with RA without a known diagnosis. The goal was to identify the clinical characteristics that can guide screening for RA-ILD.
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New Treatment for Fibromyalgia? Will It Help or Harm?
For years, the pharmacologic treatment landscape for fibromyalgia has remained relatively unchanged, with limited therapeutic options despite a substantial disease burden. This condition is characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance and functional impairment.
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Does IVIG have a Role in Scleroderma?
Systemic sclerosis, or scleroderma, is one the most challenging rheumatic diseases to manage due to its heterogenous, multisystem manifestations and the limited treatment options for some of its progressive and debilitating complications. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is often utilized as an off-label therapy for refractory manifestations. However, evidence guiding usage in SSc remains limited. A recent systemic review and meta-analysis by Jozelio Freire de Carvalho and colleagues analyzed the available literature on this therapy.
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‘Tis the Season for Vaccination
As the leaves start changing color and spooky decorations populate neighborhood doorsteps, another autumnal tradition begins: vaccination counseling. Fall offers a golden opportunity to protect our patients before respiratory viruses fill our waiting rooms. In patients with rheumatologic diseases, vaccinations can be confusing and worrisome. For clinicians with limited bandwidth, these conversations can feel like added responsibilities in an already overfull schedule.
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Ambient AI in Rheumatology Practice: Less Typing or Less Human?
Ambient AI documentation is being adopted as a tool for clinical documentation, with the potential to improve efficiency and patient interaction. This may be particularly well suited to rheumatology, where visits often involve complex, longitudinal histories, multiple high-risk medications, and extensive counseling. Ambient AI also introduces significant risks.
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Bringing TOGETHER-PsA Into Clinical Practice
When Ms. RS came into my clinic for a new patient evaluation, she was suffering from highly active skin disease, joint swelling, pain and poor mobility. Her body mass index was 46, indicating class III obesity. A treatment plan focused solely on her inflammatory disease without addressing her weight would not fully address her overall disease burden.
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Beyond Disease Modification: Palliative Care in Rheumatology
Therapeutic advances have transformed the prognosis of many rheumatic diseases, allowing patients to achieve sustained disease control and avoid irreversible organ damage. For some, however, rheumatology conditions progressively cause decline, damage, loss of function, and ultimately shortened life expectancy. Palliative care is an under-utilized and often misunderstood tool within rheumatology.
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Obesity, Surgery, and Optimizing Patient Care
Rheumatologic care involves multidisciplinary approaches and collaboration with specialties to treat complex, systemic diseases. While many Pods at RheumNow Live are disease specific, the Pod II focused on Advancing Practice on important and emerging areas affecting rheumatologic patients. This session focused on two major areas of need: obesity and peri-operative management.
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Staying Ahead of Spondyloarthritis
The diagnosis and treatment of spondyloarthritis can present challenging clinical scenarios for rheumatologists. At RheumNow Live, Pod IV focused on "Staying Ahead of Spondyloarthritis", which reviewed diagnosis, complications and advances in SpA.
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Lupus in an empty house
The full house immunofluorescence pattern is the classic histopathologic finding of lupus and lupus nephritis. Glomerular deposits staining for IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C1q can help confirm a suspected diagnosis of SLE. But what about patients with negative immunofluorescence and no proliferative or membranous features?
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