The spectrum of systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary hypertension: Insights from the ASPIRE registry.

Background: There are limited data assessing the spectrum of systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods: Data for 912 systemic sclerosis patients assessed between 2000 and 2020 were retrieved from the Assessing the Spectrum of Pulmonary hypertension Identified at a REferral centre (ASPIRE) registry and classified based on 2022 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society (ESC/ERS) guidelines and multimodality investigations.

Results: Reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) diagnostic threshold to >2WU resulted in a 19% increase in precapillary PH diagnoses.

Added value of Joint ENT-Rheumatology clinic in the management of ANCA-associated vasculitis: One year's experience.

Purpose: ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) represent a group of diagnoses, including granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Most commonly, they present initially with ENT-associated symptomatology, and therefore they often pose a diagnostic challenge. We aim to present our one-year experience in the joint management of AAV in a multi-disciplinary setting.

Identifying the best predictive diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (< 18 years): a UK multicentre case-control diagnostic accuracy study (DIPSOC study).

Background: In children, psoriasis can be challenging to diagnose. Difficulties arise from differences in the clinical presentation compared with adults.

Objectives: To test the diagnostic accuracy of previously agreed consensus criteria and to develop a shortlist of the best predictive diagnostic criteria for childhood psoriasis.

An unusual case of inflammatory meningitis in a young man with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We describe a man presenting with unusual neurological manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) including pachymeningitis, aseptic meningitis and encephalitis with grossly elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein, responding to immunosuppression. Initially he had intermittent dysarthria, dysphasia and unilateral upper limb weakness. One month later he experienced dysphasia, right-sided hemiparesis and confusion.

Multiple halo naevi associated with tocilizumab.

Tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin (IL)-6 receptor, is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We describe a case of multiple halo naevi occurring in a patient with a history of JIA treated with tocilizumab. IL-6 is a key cytokine in the setting of cancer through its effects on angiogenesis and inhibition of adaptive anti-tumour immunity.

Vertebral fracture assessment scans enhance targeting of investigations and treatment within a fracture risk assessment pathway.

Unlabelled: Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) scanning is a useful tool to aid vertebral fracture identification. In this evaluation, we show that introduction of a comprehensive fracture risk assessment pathway incorporating VFA has enhanced diagnosis of vertebral fractures and improved targeting of investigations and treatment.

Introduction: Vertebral fractures are a common manifestation of osteoporosis and are associated with an increased risk of future vertebral and non-vertebral fractures.

Rheumatoid arthritis-associated polymorphisms at 6q23 are associated with radiological damage in autoantibody-positive RA.

Objective: Recent studies have identified 6q23 as an important susceptibility locus for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with risk alleles at 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms combining to give an effect size greater than that of these markers individually. We investigated whether these polymorphisms are also associated with disease severity measured by radiological damage.

Methods: We studied 927 patients from a cross-sectional RA cohort.