The defining triad of Blau's syndrome includes granulomatous polyarthritis, dermatitis and uveitis.  This rare, monogenic, autosomal dominant disorder stems from a "gain in function" mutation of the pattern recognition receptor NOD2. This open review focuses on the clinical features and the mechanism underlying the autoinflammatory features of the disorder.

Nearly 20% Americans have chronic back pain, but 5-6% have inflammatory back pain. These numbers were derived from the 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that showed the USA prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis to be 1-1.4% and ankylosing spondylitis to be 0.5%. Hence less than 2% of low back pain is due to spondyloarthritis.

Patient on bisphosphonates for several years, later placed on denosumab. After her 2nd dose, she developed ONJ. Patient then placed on daily teriparatide with resolution of ONJ and now has a normal BMD. She is about to complete her 2nd year of PTH therapy. What should she be treated with after PTH?

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston prospectively studied 107 RA patients with regard to oral medication (DMARDs, steroids) adherence. They report that adherence was low, ranging from 58-71% overall. If adherence was defined as taking medication >80% of the time, a minority of RA patients were DMARD (21%) or prednisone (41%) adherent.

The risk of new H zoster infection was studied among nearly 30,000 new biologic starts and compared rates seen with abatacept, adalimumab, rituximab, infliximab, etanercept, tocilizumab, certolizumab or golimumab initiation.  Rates ranged from 1.61-2.45 events per 100 patient-years and in these older patients with RA, the HZ risk was similar across biologic agents, including those with different MOAs.

A psoriasis population survey finds psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis in 1.4%-3.3% of North American and European households.  Many (27-53%) rated their disease as “severe”. Nearly half of all patients were not seeing physician or had stopped their biologic therapy for either safety or a lack of effect.

Drug Safety Bulletin: Drug Shortages

Patients in a large Swedish registry with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) who started a TNF inhibitor were followed for comedication use and TNF inhibitor survival.

The hydroxychloroquine story begins in 1638 when the wife of the Viceroy of Peru, Countess Cinchona, acquired malaria while living in the New World.

Fibromyalgia is a highly prevalent disorder with different studies and populations showing a prevalence of 2.1% to 6.4% in the general population.  A retrospective review from Olmstead county revealed that among 1111 patients with fibromyalgia, greater than 50% had 7 or more chronic conditions.

A retrospective study of the national register in Sweden identified a total of 11,030 cases with an ankylosing spondylitis (AS) diagnosis (as of 2009) were identified in the National Patient Register, giving a point prevalence of 0.18% in 2009. Men had a higher prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis (0.23% vs 0.14%, P  0.001), a higher frequency of anterior uveitis (25.5% vs 20.0%, P  0.001) and were more likely to recei

The last in a four-part series from the CCF's Biologic Therapies Summit, we examine how to reduce CV risks in practice plus the current status of vasulitis management and the role biologics may play.

Patients rate communication as one of the most important factors in choosing and sticking with a physician. The end product in at least 2/3 of visits is the prescription, yet prescription adherence is substandard in half of our patients. The key is communication.

In the mid-1990s, our Rheumatology Division at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School became involved with an early trial of a brand new TNF inhibitor. As investigators reviewed and refined the protocol, discussions on drug safety focused on infusion reactions and the potential for infections.

Current Sunshine Act disclosures do not apply to CME certified educational activities for either the participants or the presenters. CMS has debated and waffled on whether companies would be required to report payments to doctors who speak at, or attend, CME seminars.