Rheumatic Rarities An Issue Of Rheumatic Disease Clinics

Guest edited by Jonathan Kay, this issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics will cover the latest research and evidence surrounding the diagnosis, treatment and management of rarely seen rheumatic diseases.

This issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics, guest edited by Dr. John Davis, will discuss Cancer and Rheumatic Diseases. This issue is one of four selected each year by series Consulting Editor, Dr. Michael Weisman. Topics discussed in this issue include, but are not limited to: rheumatic drugs and malignancy potential, biologic drugs and cancer, methotrexate and cancer, managing rheumatoid arthritis with cancer, Sjogren’s Syndrome and cancer, lupus and cancer, scleroderma and cancer, cancer and spondylarthritis, and cancer immunotherapy.

The ability to intervene at the earliest phases in the pathogenesis of a chronic rheumatic disease caused by auto-inflammatory, autoimmune, or tissue injury mechanisms has th epotential to prevent disease manifestations and consequences, limited loss of quality of life, comorbidity, and costs to society. This issue is dedicated to exploring the stages of rheumatic disease, biologic mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis along with possible ways to study and screen for persons at risk with the ultimate goal of finding ways to prevent these devastating diseases.

Guest edited by Drs. Daniel J. Wallace and R. Swamy Venuturupalli, this issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics will cover several key areas of interest related to Best Practices and Challenges to the Practice of Rheumatology. This issue is one of four selected each year by our series Consulting Editor, Dr. Michael Weisman of Cedars-Sinai. Articles in this issue include, but are not limited to: The Economics of Rheumatology Practice in the United States, Manpower trends in rheumatology, Challenges to practicing rheumatology in an academic center, Challenges in practicing rheumatology in a government setting, Challenges to practicing rheumatology in a small private practice setting, Challenges to working in a large multispecialty organization, Challenges to practicing pediatric rheumatology, Clinical trials in rheumatology, Challenges in having an infusion center, Implementing treatment to target in the clinic, Future directions: implementing new technologies in clinical practice, Possible Challenges in Optimizing Medical Education for Rheumatologists, and the challenges of approaching and managing gout.

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease. It’s estimated that about 300,000 Americans have scleroderma. About one third of those people have the systemic form of scleroderma. Since scleroderma presents with symptoms similar to other autoimmune diseases, diagnosis is difficult. This issue will cover: The Genetic Basis of SSc: Genetics, Epigenetics, Mechanisms of Pathogenesis – linking fibrosis, vasculopathy and immune dysregulation, The Role of Autoantibodies in Diagnosis and Prognosis/survival; Managing Raynaud’s phenomenon and ischemic ulcers, managing SSc Lung Disease, Monitoring for and Managing Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, and many more!

Vasculitis is a term for a group of rare diseases that have in common inflammation of blood vessels and there are many types of vasculitis, and they may vary greatly in symptoms, severity and duration. Vasculitis can range from mild to life-threatening and early detection and treatment of severe vasculitis can prevent permanent damage.

Chronic joint pain is often associated with rheumatic diseases, but rheumatic diseases can also cause damage to vital organs including the heart. This articles in this issue will cover cardiac involvement in a variety of rheumatic diseases with discussions abotu clinical presentations and mechanistic aspects.

This issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics, edited by Drs. John Imboden and Sarah Goglin, will cover a variety of important aspects of the neurological manifestations of rheumatic diseases. Topics discussed in the issue will include: Primary vasculitis of the central nervous system; Neurologic manifestations of primary Sjogren Syndrome; Neurologic manifestations of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome; Neurologic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis; Neuromyelitis optica; Neurosarcoid; Central nervous system infections associated with immunosuppressive therapy; and Neurologic manifestations of IgG4-related disease, among others.