Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Calling Young Rheumatologist Leaders

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The ACR is seeking a representative to the Young Physician Section of the AMA House of Delegates who will join the ACR’s delegation at future HOD meetings and advance issues important to rheumatology.

3 AC&R Study Summaries: Lupus Fog, SSc Variance By Ethnicity & Tuberculosis Screening in New DMARD Users

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Lupus Fog? By Laura C. Plantinga, PhD, Patricia P. Katz, PhD, S. Sam Lim, MD, MPH, C. Barrett Bowling, MD, MSPH, & Jinoos Yazdany, MD, MPH Why was this study done? Perceived cognitive impairment (i.e., lupus fog) is common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, comprehensive, multidomain assessments of objective cognitive function are rarely performed….

What’s New in Large Vessel Vasculitis

Philip Seo, MD, MHS  |  

The large vessel vasculitides were a major focus of the 21st International Vasculitis Workshop held in Barcelona in April. The biennial conference brings together specialists from multiple disciplines, including rheumatology, nephrology and immunology, to discuss cutting-edge vasculitis research. This article reviews important points regarding the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of both giant cell arteritis and…

Summer 2024’s Awards, Appointments & Announcements in the World of Rheumatology

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Dr. Megan Cooper Appointed Director of Pediatric Rheumatology & Immunology Division at WashU Megan A. Cooper, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist recognized internationally for her work in pediatric immunodeficiencies and immune dysregulation, took the reins of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, as director this past fall….

Let’s Define Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

Lucy Masto, BS, Medha Barbhaiya, MD, MPH, Caroline H. Siegel, MD, MS, Lisa R. Sammaritano, MD, & Michael D. Lockshin, MD  |  

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) is a diagnosis given to patients who do not fulfill current classification criteria for named connective tissue diseases (CTD)—systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), or Sjögren’s disease—but who nonetheless have clinical signs and symptoms and serological evidence of autoimmune CTDs. In 1980 LeRoy et al. were…

AWIR & ACR: Building a Strong Future Rheumatology Community

Joseph Cantrell, JD  |  

The ACR was fortunate to participate in the Association for Women in Rheumatology’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Orlando. As this relationship grows every year, the AWIR and ACR are working together to build a sustainable and inclusive rheumatology community for the future.

Case Report: An Uncommon Presenting Complaint of GPA

Adina Greene, BA, Sabrina Dahak, MD, Wesley A. Robertson, MD, Denege Ward-Wright, MD, & Kristen Young, DO, MEd  |  

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a small vessel vasculitis associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (C-ANCA), specifically proteinase 3 (PR3) ANCA. GPA classically presents with multi-organ involvement. The first description of GPA defined a triad of features: 1) systemic necrotizing angiitis, 2) necrotizing inflammation of the respiratory tract and 3) necrotizing glomerulonephritis.1 Few cases of digital…