An international cohort study of patients with calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease, i.e., recurrent acute CPP crystal arthritis, chronic CPP crystal inflammatory arthritis, and crowned dens syndrome (CDS) identifies both acute and chronic inflammatory phenotypes, each with distinctive clinical and imaging diagnostic features.

Lancet Rheumatology has published a review of Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease - a chronic inflammatory and degenerative crystal arthropathy that increases with aging.

A secondary analysis of the PEXIVAS study showed antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis (AAV) patients complicated by diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) may have improved with plasma exchange and glucocorticoids, the results did not achieve significance. 

Imaging is often instrumental in diagnosing and staging patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis. A new study compared the diagnostic performance of Colour Duplex Ultrasound (CDUS), Fluor-18-deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in patients suspected of giant cell arteritis and found the CDUS had a numerically higher sensitivity (that was not statistically superior to other modalities).

An ultrasound study suggests that enthesitis is associated with both synovitis and tenosynovitis in patients with Psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

EULAR has published the 2023 updated recommendations for the optimal non-pharmacological management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA).

JAMA reports a cohort study that investigated the association between methotrexate (MTX) use and Interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with dermatomyositis (DM).

As we have incorporated technology into our workflows, and consequently saved lives and suffering, we have balanced our excitement about progress with proof that incremental advances can truly deliver benefit. it is easy to let promise carry our caution away - and while most of the time such advances come in a vetted package, which we can consume without concern, conference abstracts come raw. This is the necessary ingredient to a platform which allows for bold ideas and innovation, but for that reason it is not such a curated space. At EULAR 2024, we saw the usual mix of bright, raw ideas on the poster floor emblematic of this paradigm.

EULAR treats its attendees to a wonderful lunch each day – Schnitzel, gnocchi, goulash at lunch after muffins and coffee in the morning. It's no wonder the meeting has been a lively one, well attended with a wealth of stimulating ideas, research and discussion. Here are a few of my favorite abstracts and presentations from today, day 3 in Vienna.