RheumNow Week in Review - 15 April 2016 Save

Video recap of highlights from this week at RheumNow.com.

1. In patients with connective tissue disease and interstitial lung disease (ILD): NSIP, UIP, OP (use to be BOOP), LIP are NOT diagnoses - these are lung injury patterns with clinical associations and correlations.  (Courtesy of Dr. Aryeh Fischer at the ARTHROS W. Virgina State Rheumatology Meeting)
2. UIP (Usual interstitial pneumonia) is best diagnosed by HRCT; appears as honeycombing; and is the most common form of ILD. It is also the most common cause of ILD in rheumatoid arthritis and second most common in PSS and other CTD.
3. NSIP (nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis): shows as ground glass opacities; most common ILD pattern in PSS and other CTD.  NSIP has better survival than UIP.
4. Who should get HRCT after CXR and PFTs? Each of the following increase the likelihood of having significant ILD: consider in Men, smokers, CCP+, RA patients. CCP+ is independent risk factor for ILD.
5. The majority of PSS patients will have ILD (fibrotic NSIP is most common). ILD is the leading cause of death in PSS.
6. In 658 hospitalized PSS patients, there were 29 deaths. The risk factors associated with death was ascertained; - higher risk with high BUN, history of aspiration, low Hgb, non-SSc lung disease. 
7. In an IBD cohort study, perioperative MTX use was not associated with an increase in post-operative  complications or sepsis in IBD pts having abdominal surgery. 
8. Colchicine once daily is equivalent to twice daily dosing in preventing attacks with Familial Meditteranean Fever 
9. A metanalysis of 4 RCT using rituximab (RTX) in Sjogren’s syndrome:  276 patients saw that RTX had no effect on Schirmers test, fatigue, ESSDAI & SF36 after 24 weeks.  
10.  Surgical Management of Spinal Stenosis - To Fuse or Not To Fuse?
11. Lupus Patients Genomically Stratified to Explain Treatment Responses 
12. Population-Based TB Risk and Prevention with RA and Biologics
13. A Rocky Start for Biosimilar Inflectra?