The ACR recently released its first guideline focused on vaccination in adult and pediatric patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.1 The guideline recommends modifications to certain vaccine and medication schedules to increase immunogenicity and ensure patient safety, while encouraging providers not to miss vaccination opportunities. The Need Patients with rheumatic conditions who are on immunosuppressive…
First described in 1888, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a chronic inflammatory condition that almost exclusively affects individuals older than 50.1 Until this week, no therapies for PMR had been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).2 Tuesday, Sanofi announced sarilumab (Kevzara) has been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for the…
This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations on the use of vaccinations in children and adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. It includes expanded indications for some vaccines, as well as guidance on whether to hold immunosuppressive medications or delay vaccination to maximize vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy.
Localized Scleroderma in Anti-NXP2-Antibody Positive Dermatomyositis A 67-year-old woman presented with erythematous, indurated skin on her left flanks. She had been diagnosed with dermatomyositis one year earlier when proximal muscle weakness, dysphagia and skin rash developed (see Figure A). Tests at the time showed the presence of anti-NXP2 and anti-Ro52 antibodies, as well as pathological…
The terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center (WTC) that led to their destruction on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the subsequent year-long cleanup of the site (i.e., Ground Zero) in 2001 and 2002, not only had immediate implications for the lives and health of thousands of individuals at the…
Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) are rare syndromes characterized by alterations in innate immunity that result in a variety of clinical manifestations that are usually associated with recurrent fevers.1 Thanks to advances in genetic sequencing over the past few years, monogenic causes for some of these autoinflammatory diseases, such as Yao syndrome, have been discovered.2 Previously…
The following report outlines a case of newly diagnosed adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) complicated by macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in a previously healthy and active 32-year-old man who had emigrated from Africa to the U.S. Case A man with no prior medical history presented with acute-onset polyarthritis, fevers and fatigue that began one month previously….
The second annual Global Rheumatology Summit focused on climate change, conflict and migration, as well as other global issues in rheumatology.
In 1949, the first description of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) given cortisone sent shockwaves through the medical community, quickly capturing the public imagination as well. The paradigm-shifting report paved the way for the use of cortisone and related drugs in RA and many other medical conditions.1 The following is a discussion of some of…
PHILADELPHIA—Patients with rheumatic diseases often mount an adequate immune response after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, but that is not always the case, and certain medications make patients more prone to having an insufficient response, said Judith James, MD, PhD, chair, Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, at an ACR Convergence…