Does anyone know why the band Fleetwood Mac might have been an expert in medical communication? Physicians and other medical providers have multiple roles; one obvious task is to provide advice. And for this advice to be valuable, we need to be good listeners; we need to absorb data from multiple sources, which include journals,…
I just didn’t understand. I was an excellent student. I know this is true of most of you. Given the nature of this publication, most of our readership have graduate degrees. This means that collectively, after completing four years of college, we all made the financially dubious decision to pursue post-graduate education, like lemmings jumping…
All of us have a professional story to share. We have come from various backgrounds that make us different and allow us to link unique contributions from our professional journey. Some of us dedicate our careers to academics, many serve in private practice, and others have a combination of career experiences. Unfortunately, many of our…
Rheumatic Diseases of Childhood: Juvenile Dermatomyositis with Calcinosis Cutis These images depict a 14-year-old boy with a two-year history of proximal muscle weakness affecting both upper and lower limbs, and a skin rash affecting his face. He was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis and developed calcinosis over both legs with skin infection and ulceration. Plain X-ray…
Hurricane Ida intensified in the last two weeks of August 2021, battering the Cayman Islands and Cuba before hitting the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm just before Labor Day weekend.1 At landfall, Ida blasted southern Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 150 knots, then turned in a north-northwestern direction to hit the New…
Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, or Sweet syndrome, is an inflammatory disease that classically presents with fever, leukocytosis and tender, erythematous plaques characterized by neutrophilic infiltrates on biopsy. Sweet syndrome has been reported in association with several autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematous, rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis.1 Here, we discuss a case of…
Scleromyxedema is a primary cutaneous mucinosis characterized by a diffuse and generalized papular skin eruption of mucinous deposits throughout the upper dermis. In addition to dermatologic manifestations, scleromyxedema may involve the cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal and nervous systems. Dermato-neuro syndrome (DNS) is a rare, severe neurologic complication of scleromyxedema.1,2 The pathogenesis of DNS is unknown, but…
Like solving sudoku, planning the ACR annual meeting requires an ability to recognize patterns and employ focused logical thinking, all the while remaining undaunted by the various paths possible to complete a grid from what looks like, at initial glance, an incomprehensible labyrinth of options. The patterns in this situation are not numbers, but sessions,…
The American Board of Internal Medicine’s recently launched Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment for rheumatology maintenance of certification emphasizes convenience and ongoing learning.
The prescription is a powerful tool for a physician. As rheumatologists, we prescribe many things—drugs, physical therapy, durable medical equipment—but what about stress reduction? We are very specific about times of day to take medications and in what manner. Patients ask: With or without food? With other medications? Before or after other prescribed medications? If…
Teaching junior learners, such as medical students and residents, is increasingly important in rheumatology. Given the anticipated shortage of rheumatologists, attracting more trainees to our field and enhancing knowledge of the rheumatic diseases among physicians in other fields are critical to meeting the needs of our patients.1,2 In addition, clinical reasoning is a vital skill…
Dual certification is neither a conventional nor a low-stress career path in medicine. But choosing to train in specialties complementary to rheumatology, such as pulmonary/critical care or allergy/immunology, can offer more expansive career and research opportunities. This career choice can lead to a better understanding of complex disease, and the ability to better care for…
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the ACR’s Committee on Training and Workforce (COTW) has been interested in better understanding how fellowship recruitment is affected by virtual recruitment from the perspectives of both program directors and trainees. This past year, the COTW conducted a survey study to gain the perspective of program directors.1 The Rheumatology…
The ACR’s Committee on Rheumatology Training & Workforce Issues helps young rheumatologists to become successful and find meaning in their work. Here is an update on the committee’s most recent accomplishments.
Experts presented ways to rethink journal club to improve engagement and how an image-based program can help teach the assessment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus across differing skin tones.
Jonathan Hausmann, MD, discussed how active learning techniques, such as the flipped classroom, can increase the effectiveness of medical education and the success of rheumatology fellows.
Autoinflammatory disorders may involve genetic mutations of the inflammasome or an environmental trigger in a genetically susceptible host. Dr. Jay Mehta discussed a practical, clinical approach to caring for patients with autoinflammatory disorders, such as periodic fever syndromes, during the 2022 ACR Education Exchange.
Constructing a safe space for reporting errors is important & enables medical trainees to grow, making them better learners and scholars, and faculty members and patients to express their concerns. During a session at the 2022 ACR Education Exchange, Karina Torralba, MD, MACM, RhMSUS, provided insights into how to manage the barriers to fostering such a workplace culture.
Pain is more than nociception, and pain management is more than medication. Delia Chiaramonte, MD, provided insights into how rheumatologists can help their patients ease and manage chronic pain.
Due to its array of radiographic patterns, interstitial lung disease can be challenging to diagnose and treat. Adam Guttentag, MD, a cardiothoracic radiologist, shared tips for ordering and interpreting chest computed tomography.
Erin Wilfong, MD, PhD, shared her niche expertise in connective tissue disease ILD (CTD-ILD) via case-based learning during a session of the 2022 ACR Education Exchange.
Hip and knee replacements—despite advancement in treatments for rheumatic diseases, some patients will still need to undergo these surgeries. Here are insights into the considerations, costs and complications of total joint arthroplasty.
Renal biopsy is a valuable tool for the accurate diagnosis and management of patients with kidney involvement due to rheumatic disease. Agnes B. Fogo, MD, shared her expertise on renal pathology and insights into what rheumatologists should know, during a session at the 2022 ACR Education Exchange.
Using three complicated patient cases, Kenneth G. Saag, MD, MSc, shared his expertise on osteoporosis and walked through his thought process and the literature, during a session of the 2022 ACR Education Exchange.
Understanding muscle pathology reports is important to best treat rheumatology patients. Peter Pytel, MD, shared pearls of wisdom specific to the autoimmune inflammatory myopathies and gave a detailed review of what rheumatologists need to know, during the 2022 ACR Education Exchange.
It’s 11 a.m. on a Wednesday. You see a new patient in your fellow’s clinic with impressive physical findings, including a prominent skin rash and deforming arthritis. The patient has been to many doctors and is frustrated that her condition remains undiagnosed and untreated. You thoroughly examine the patient, present her case to your attending…
Elliot Rosenstein, MD, spends most weekend mornings and late afternoons a bit differently than other rheumatologists. He feeds and waters chickens, rabbits, llamas, horses, goats and guinea fowl, as well as an orphaned peacock. Dr. Rosenstein is one of two medical directors at the Institute of Rheumatic & Autoimmune Disease (IRAD) at Overlook Medical Center,…
In a small study of men with low bone mineral density (BDM) living with HIV and taking anti-retroviral therapy, both zoledronate or denosumab were well tolerated and effective for bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and femoral neck.
We read the article, “Rheumatologists Share Lessons Learned in the Wake of Hurricane Ida” (July 2022, The Rheumatologist), with great interest. This poignant account of the impacted patients and rheumatologists provides invaluable planning tips regarding medication loss, access to pharmacies and medical records, and strategies to avoid practice losses. The critical lessons presented in this…