Vasculitis and Giant Cell Arteritis News

ORLANDO — Rheumatology providers should “maintain a high index of suspicion” when diagnosing patients with suspected vasculitis as several under-recognized syndromes mimic this condition, and could worsen after treatment with glucocorticoids, according to a presenter at the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.

A survey of infectious disease clinicians showed there is “little consensus” regarding Pneumocystis pneumonia prophylaxis for patients with connective tissue diseases and that guidelines would be “helpful,” researchers reported.

All patients with large-vessel vasculitis should be screened for treatment-related cardiovascular comorbidities, with prophylaxis and life-style counseling administered to mitigate the risk for complications, according to updated EULAR recommendations published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The FDA approved rituximab-pvvr, a biosimilar to rituximab, for multiple indications.

The FDA has approved apremilast 30 mg twice daily for the treatment of adult patients with oral ulcers associated with Behçet’s disease, according to a company press release.

Adalimumab yielded better outcomes than infliximab in best-corrected visual acuity, retention and other areas among patients with uveitis related to Behçet’s disease, according to findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Th use of oral steroids in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica or giant cell arteritis is associated with a significant increase in the risk for infection, with higher doses linked with higher risks, according to recent findings published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Political activism is more accessible than ever thanks to the amplification offered by social media, and rheumatologists can use social media — particularly Twitter — to advocate for the profession and their patients, according to Angus Worthing, MD, private practice rheumatologist and chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the American College of Rheumatology.

DESTIN, Fla. — It is important for rheumatologists to assess for possible cardiac manifestations among patients with suspected granulomatosis with polyangiitis, according to Syed Mansour Haque, MBBS, of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

In the ever-changing landscape of the United States health care system, rheumatologists need a voice. They need a voice in managing the complex web of drug pricing structures, a voice in developing clinical guidelines, and, on a fundamental level, a voice in simply communicating with all the players involved in running the day-to-day operations of a rheumatology practice.