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,…
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…
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…
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…
Based on findings from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating its efficacy and safety, rituximab-arrx has received FDA approval for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Teaching junior learners, such as medical students and residents, is increasingly important in rheumatology. Given the anticiÂpated 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…