Vasculitis and Giant Cell Arteritis News

The International Autoimmunity Summit gathered several hundred experts who span the spectrum of autoimmune diseases, which are often referred to as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. These included many rheumatologists, as well as dermatologists, gastroenterologists, allergists and advanced practitioners who are all engaged in the care and research of these disorders.

DESTIN, Fla. — At the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology Annual Meeting, Gary S. Hoffman, MD, MS, MACR, professor emeritus at the Center for Vasculitis Care and Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Lerner College of Medicine, presented emerging evidence on the prevention and treatment of relapsing vasculitis.

DESTIN, Fla. — At the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology Annual Meeting, Gary S. Hoffman, MD, MS, MACR, spoke about what rheumatologists need to consider in the treatment of patients with systemic vasculitis.

DESTIN, Fla. – A speaker here at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology provided an update on Behçet’s syndrome, including a review of its clinical manifestations and new therapy options.

Diagnosis and management of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) presents substantial diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of AAV are associated with a dismal prognosis and a high mortality rate. Therefore, accurate and timely diagnosis, together with early initiation of appropriate treatment, are key to improving patient outcomes. Given the combinations of clinical, radiologic, serological and histopathological features of AAV across a wide range of organ systems, a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosis and management is ideal.

Carotid contrast-enhanced ultrasound vascularization grade and grade of vascular inflammation shown on 18F-FDG positron emission tomography correlated well in patients with large vessel vasculitis, according to recently published research.

A new industry body, the British Biosimilars Association, has been launched to promote the use of biosimilar drug treatments in the United Kingdom, according to a press release.

Modernizing medicine, Inc. announced the launch of its modmed Electronic Medical Assistant for pain medicine, a specialty-specific, cloud-based electronic health record system with tap and touch features providing access to an anatomic atlas.

A phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of tocilizumab conducted in Bern, Switzerland, resulted in remission in most patients with giant cell arteritis in the treatment group. In addition, prednisolone was tapered to 0 mg in 80% of these patients after a mean of 38 weeks, according to the results of a recently published study.

Jaw claudication and systemic markers of inflammation were associated with giant cells in recently published research, but no histological features were identified as associated with blindness in an analysis of 144 biopsy-positive patients with giant cell arteritis.