Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and important associations in rheumatology from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is typically recognized for its striking skin rashes, vasculopathy, and muscle inflammation. Less visible, but equally significant, is lung involvement.
Children with juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myositis (JIIM) are at risk of developing lung disease, notably interstitial lung disease (ILD).
When I see patients with RA-associated ILD, I’m often asked: “Are the lungs and joints really connected?” The answer is yes, and the connection extends further back than some may realize. While RA is defined by inflammation of the joints, extra-articular complications of the lung are well recognized. ILD has often been viewed as a complication of longstanding RA, but it can also appear before joint disease in a subset of patients.


