Still’s disease and autoinflammatory disorders are rare conditions unified by recurrent fevers and inflammation of skin, joints, and other organs. While labs often support the diagnosis, these conditions are best diagnosed by genetic testing, or by specific criteria (in the absence of a genetic test). The following is a table that lists common misconceptions (myths) and their clarifying explanations.
Horizon has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the expanded labeling of pegloticase (Krystexxa) injection to be co-administered with methotrexate (MTX), to improve response rates in patients with uncontrolled gout.
With the recent publication of the third iteration of the GRAPPA Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) treatment recommendations, it seems to be an auspicious time to reflect on some key considerations that arose during the development of the recommendations, as well as to look towards what the future may hold.
For 2022, let's look our top 10 list of advances, game-changers, worries and those better medical practices that evolved during 2021.
An interesting study in Lancet Rheumatology shows that psoriatic arthritis patients not responding to methotrexate alone can respond after adding or escalating adalimumab on top of methotrexate to reach minimal disease activity (MDA) response.
Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) is a hyperinflammatory condition that has a significant mortality risk and may arise in patients with rheumatic disease.
A single center study evaluated the manifestations and outcomes in patients with MAS with rheumatic disease between 2012 and 2020. They identifed 20 adult patients diagnosed with MAS based on the HLH-2004 criteria.
I’ve often talked about the nurses in my clinic as being the glue, the clinic glue, my personal glue. Without them, the day and task would never go as well and just might crash and burn, if not for their steadying influence.
Drug survival may be the best measure of efficacy and safety. A study of novel therapy durability (survival) in patients with RA, axial spondyloarthritis, PsA, and psoriasis shows that while all these drugs are approved for said conditions, drug survival varies by condition, suggesting an ongoing need for individualized treatment.
A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients can be safely treated with allopurinol without an increased risk of mortality.
Adult-onset Still's presents an interesting and diagnostic challenge when encountered. Here are 5 tips to improve your diagnostic acumen for this febrile disorder.
This year at EULAR 2022, there were important and interesting topics in Axial Spondyloarthritis (AxSpA). These are my picks of abstracts from the conference.
With their publication in June 2022 (1), the 3rd iteration of the Group for Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) Treatment recommendations for Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) may have set a record or sorts.
Dr. Jack Cush reviews recent news, regulatory and guideline updates from the past week on RheumNow.com. Studies on methotrexate use, COVID vaccination, Supplements and vitamins, and arthrocentesis despite anticoagulation are discussed.
A new way of inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF) for treating rheumatoid arthritis showed strong results in a phase II/III clinical trial, researchers said.
Analysis of two large clinical trial datasets shows that placebo response rates in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are better when the patient continued background methotrexate (MTX).