Top in rheumatology: Tocilizumab for giant cell arteritis; glucocorticoids for MIS-C
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The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology issued updated guidance recommending weekly tocilizumab, along with glucocorticoids that should eventually be tapered, for patients with new, relapsing giant cell arteritis.
“This update, like the original version, is primarily based on evidence from clinical trials and, therefore, most of the items have a high [level of evidence] and grade of recommendation,” Daniel Aletaha, MD, from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, and colleagues wrote. “However, clinical trials do not provide data for substantial numbers of adverse events or long-term outcomes.”
It was the top story in rheumatology last week.
Another top story was about recently published data that showed glucocorticoids alone demonstrate similar recovery rates as intravenous immunoglobin or combination therapy in patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C.
Read these and more top stories in rheumatology below:
EULAR: Tocilizumab recommended for new, relapsing giant cell arteritis
Weekly tocilizumab 162 mg is recommended for giant cell arteritis in new or relapsing cases, alongside glucocorticoids that should eventually be tapered, according to an updated EULAR consensus statement on interleukin-6 inhibitors. Read more.
MIS-C outcomes with glucocorticoids alone similar to IVIG, combination therapy
Glucocorticoids alone demonstrate similar recovery rates as intravenous immunoglobin, or combination therapy with both, in patients with MIS-C, according to data published in The Lancet Rheumatology. Read more.
One-third of lupus hospitalizations lack post-discharge follow-up care
Approximately one-third of lupus hospitalizations lack post-discharge follow-up care, with “significant disparities” reported among rural and disadvantaged localities, according to Medicare data published in Arthritis Care & Research. Read more.
P. jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis use in lupus ‘much lower’ than prior studies suggest
The real-world use of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis in patients with systemic lupus erythematous is “much lower” than prior survey-based studies suggest, according to data published in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. Read more.
Postpartum patients may be at risk for false-positive axial spondyloarthritis diagnosis
As many as 41% of patients who are 1 year postpartum meet the ASAS criteria for sacroiliitis, which could lead to false positive diagnoses of axial spondyloarthritis, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. Read more.