Vasculitis and Giant Cell Arteritis News

Vascular ultrasound, using high-end equipment and optimized settings, may be an effective replacement for temporal artery biopsy as a first-line diagnostic tool in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis, according to a Danish study.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a significant decrease in autoimmunity laboratory testing, first rheumatology visits and diagnoses from 2019 to 2020, according to Italian data published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

Takayasu arteritis in pregnant patients is associated with a high prevalence of adverse outcomes for both the parent and the fetus, topped by risks for caesarean sections and low birth weight, according to meta-analysis data presented here.

Avacopan yielded significantly better kidney function outcomes than prednisone in a cohort of patients with renal disease associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2021.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, gout, polydermatomyositis, vasculitis and those with multiple rheumatic diseases were at greatest risk for breakthrough COVID-19 infection, despite full or partial vaccination vs. those without rheumatic disease.

Staying ahead of inflammation and managing the broad range of symptoms is key to controlling VEXAS syndrome, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2021.

The American College of Rheumatology and EULAR have updated classification criteria for five types of large- and small-vessel vasculitis, driven in part by advances in diagnostic imaging, according to presenters at ACR Convergence 2021.

Managing oral, ocular and cutaneous complications is critical to optimizing outcomes in conditions ranging from Sjögren’s syndrome to juvenile dermatomyositis, according to a presenter who offered a cross-section of “pearls and myths” at ACR Convergence 2021.

Among fully vaccinated individuals with rheumatic diseases, breakthrough COVID-19 infections occurred most commonly in patients treated with B cell depleting agents or mycophenolate, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2021.

The use of vitamin D3 or omega-3 fatty acid supplements over a 5-year period may reduce the incidence of autoimmune disease in older adults by 25% to 30%, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2021.