On Feb. 2, 2022, the ACR released a revised version of its COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Summary (version 5, revised). A full paper was originally published online in Arthritis & Rheumatology (A&R) on March 17, 2021, and version 5 has been submitted to A&R for publication. Updates include: Recommendations differentiating supplemental and booster doses, including…
Payer audits and coding scrutiny are in full swing after an influx of fraudulent claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure your coding practices are in compliance to protect your revenue.
The ISC has worked with CVS Caremark to revisit changes to its prior authorization forms that would have increased the administrative burden on practices, and patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina may not have to worry about switching to a self-administered biologic.
When Jonathan Kay, MD, attends a medical lecture, he does more than just listen to the speakers or watch their presentations. He typically whips out his pen and draws a caricature of someone in the room. Dr. Kay is a professor of medicine and holds the Timothy S. and Elaine L. Peterson Chair in Rheumatology…
Martin Kriegel, MD, PhD, Receives 2021 Lupus Insight Award “I have always found the conundrum of autoimmunity interesting. It’s fascinating to find out why the immune system attacks the body, how it can distinguish self from non-self,” says Martin Kriegel, MD, PhD, head of the Department of Translational Rheumatology & Immunology, Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine,…
Pulmonary nodules are comÂmon; most are benign, but the differential diagnosis is broad and includes life-threatening possibilities.1 Our patient is a former smoker who has a history of a complex autoimmune disease and multiple pulmonary nodules. This case was challenging, but clinical, radiographic and histologic clues helped lead to the correct diagnosis. Case Presentation The…
Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare condition characterized by aberrant fibroinflammatory tissue developing in the retroperitoneum. This disorder was initially called Ormond’s disease. RPF may be idiopathic or secondary to other conditions. Idiopathic RPF is a part of the disease spectrum of chronic periaortitis due to its typical periaortoiliac localization. Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis is a…
Intra-articular venous malformations of the knee are an uncommon cause of knee pain in children. Presenting symptoms of this rare subtype of venous malformation often include nonspecific pain and joint swelling, which may be episodic, and accompanied by limited range of motion. The signs and symptoms can mimic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Timely diagnosis of…
Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis that typically affects medium-sized muscular arteries. The clinical subsets of PAN are idiopathic, generalized, secondary hepatitis B virus (HBV) associated and cutaneous PAN. These clinical subsets are important because of their therapeutic implications. Virtually any organ system can be affected in generalized PAN, but this vasculitis tends…
Best Overall: Cutaneous Manifestations of Dermatomyositis These images, submitted by Santhanam Lakshminarayanan, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, show a 32-year-old Black woman with classic cutaneous manifestations of dermatomyositis: heliotrope rash; periorbital edema with complete closure of the eyes; erythema nodosum on the…