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.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from RheumNow.com. Pool therapy, Fibrosis, NSIE's and what's best for knee OA. 

Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features - or IPAF - describes patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features, but they don’t meet a diagnosis of a CTD.

Several cohort studies conducted in Asia, Europe and the Americas have evaluated the clinical significance of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) when detected in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) as well as the types of ILD encountered in patients with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and their effect on the prognosis of MPA.

While we know there are certain clinical features serving as predictors that patients with SSc may develop ILD, including diffuse skin disease and serologies such as anti-Scl-70 and Th/To antibodies, it is imperative that clinicians consider that any patient, particularly early in their disease course (5 years of disease since the first non-Raynaud phenomenon symptom) could develop ILD. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com. Today we cover GLP-1 agonists, acupuncture, what JAKs won’t do & an FDA Pink Slip.