Vasculitis and Giant Cell Arteritis News

The 2017 FDA approval of tocilizumab as the first drug to specifically treat giant cell arteritis ushered in a new era in the management of the disease, with hopes that it would eliminate the need for steroids in the condition altogether.

Patients with COVID-19 demonstrate a 43% increased risk for new-onset autoimmune diseases in the 3 to 15 months following acute infection, according to data published in Clinical Rheumatology.

Following last year’s U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning federal abortion protections, rheumatologists must change their practice with regard managing patients’ reproductive health, said presenter at the 2023 AWIR annual conference.

AUSTIN, Texas — Ongoing communication between rheumatology and pulmonology is essential to managing “unpredictable” interstitial lung disease, according to a presenter at the 2023 Rheumatology Nurses Society annual conference.

Children with Cogan’s syndrome should undergo thorough evaluations upon presentation, including screenings for autoimmune and infectious diseases, as well as echocardiography and brain MRI, according to data.

Physicians should screen patients for cocaine use before making a diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, according to data published in Rheumatology Advances in Practice.

Remission induction strategies based on rituximab and cyclophosphamide each demonstrate similar risks for kidney failure and death in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

MRI and PET scans are viable alternatives to ultrasound for cranial arteries in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis, according to a 2023 update of EULAR’s recommendations for imaging in large vessel vasculitis.

Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis can overlap and resemble one another in diagnosis and disease course, and understanding where one ends and the other begins is critical for rheumatologists and primary care providers alike.

Current treatment strategies for patients with central nervous system vasculitis are not based on high-grade scientific evidence but rather expert opinion, according to a speaker at the Biologic Therapies Summit.