Rheumatology
Clinical discussions on autoimmune diseases, biologic therapies, vasculitis, and musculoskeletal conditions.
Recent Discussions
Is there a preferred JAK inhibitor for the treatment of alopecia associated with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus?
Unfortunately, this question likely comes down to FDA and insurance approval and not scientific evidence. Since only one JAKi is approved for alopecia right now and and 2 for poly JIA and none for SLE currently in any age, it will come down to which diagnosis you are going to use to get coverage.
Do you think the benefits of performing a repeat kidney biopsy to assess histologic evidence of disease activity or chronic damage outweigh the risks in a patient with recently treated lupus nephritis and improving creatinine levels?
In patients with lupus nephritis who have recently undergone treatment and are demonstrating improved creatinine levels, performing a repeat kidney biopsy is generally unnecessary. The risks associated with the procedure do not justify its benefits unless there is persistent or worsening proteinuria...
What were your top takeaways in Myositis from ACR Convergence 2025?
ACR Convergence had an outstanding selection of myositis offerings, and the number of people attending the sessions reflects the increasing recognition of these heterogeneous diseases, coupled with the frequency that non-myositis specialist clinicians will encounter these entities. The convention pr...
How would you approach managing a patient with well-controlled RA on abatacept who develops a solid malignancy?
Ok- good question:I would switch to an IL6inhibiton and let oncology do their thing.Make sure they are on Plaquenil too. :)Also, if the patient is going to get traditional chemo - watch and wait, likely the RA will be controlled with blanket immunosuppression of chemotherapy.Petit et al., PMID 39241...
What strategies have you found most effective in improving long-term medication adherence in patients with SLE?
The most important long-term drug to have good adherence to is hydroxychloroquine.Soon after I began measuring HCQ drug levels in all my patients who were not in remission back in 2016, I was shocked at how many were not taking it very well (lived up to the low adherence numbers quoted in the litera...
When starting stress dose steroids for patient with primary adrenal insufficiency, how do you decide whether to start hydrocortisone 100 mg every 8 hours versus 50 mg every 6 hours?
Stress doses of steroids in patients with primary adrenal insufficiency depend on the anticipated stress. The dose of steroids can be doubled or tripled depending on the stress. For example, in cases of maximal stress such as major surgery, the dose can be similar to the dose used for an adrenal cri...
Would you have concerns using azathioprine in NXP-2 or TIF-1 gamma positive dermatomyositis patients due to higher risk of malignancy?
No studies have examined the effect of long-term azathioprine and the risk of malignancy in myositis. However, data from other autoimmune diseases (like lupus, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis) have been negative in most cases (except perhaps for rheumatoid arthritis), and distinct from what is...
Would you have any concerns about starting an anti-TNF in RF and anti-CCP positive RA patients who also have high titer ANA?
No, I would not have any concerns. A patient with seropositive RA who demonstrates a positive ANA remains a patient with RA, not someone with an overlap connective tissue disease syndrome. Since a positive ANA can be seen in a sizable percentage of healthy people and among those treated with TNFi dr...
How do you evaluate and manage brain fog in patients with underlying rheumatic disease?
For Brain fog – Most important this is I stress to patients – there are likely MULTIPLE different things contributing to brain fog, so there are MULTIPLE different things we are going to have to work on to improve it. Active inflammation might be contributing, but there is likely several other facto...
Would you consider the use of romosozumab in men who have failed therapy with teriparatide and sustained multiple vertebral fractures?
Yes, I would consider Romosozumab for the male patient. I would check his cardiovascular status due to concern of the possible increased risk for a cardiovascular event on the medication, which could be a contraindication. However, before initiating therapy, it would be helpful to know some of the s...