Common Neurologic Features of Lyme Disease That May Present to a Rheumatologist.

Lyme disease, caused by (Bb) infection, has a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and severity. Patients with possible Lyme disease may seek out or be referred to rheumatologists. Today, the most common reason to engage a rheumatologist is due to complaints of arthralgia.

Updates in diagnostics, treatments, and correlations between oral and ocular manifestations of Sjogren's syndrome.

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is characterized as an autoimmune disorder targeting secretory glands, including the lacrimal and salivary glands, causing dry eye and dry mouth predominantly in women over the age of 40. In this review, we summarize recent advancements in SS diagnostics, treatments, and our understanding of correlations between oral and ocular manifestations of SS. Google Scholar and PubMed databases were utilized to search peer-reviewed papers since 2016 on SS diagnosis, treatment, and correlations between oral and ocular manifestations.

COVID-19 Vaccination as a Potential Trigger for New-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Immune hyperactivation has been linked to various vaccines. We present a potential association of new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) post-COVID-19 immunization. The patient is a 54-year-old male admitted for evaluation of flu-like symptoms two weeks after receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A Case of Severe Refractory Pemphigus Vulgaris in a Patient With Stable Esophageal Malignancy.

Pemphigus is a broad term that is used to describe a group of bullous autoimmune diseases affecting the skin and mucous membranes; the pathogenesis involves autoantibodies directed against various cell junction desmosomal proteins. In patients with a history of malignancy who present with bullous lesions, the differential diagnosis may include, but is not limited to, paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV) secondary to a primary autoimmune process, or induced by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In this report, we present a case of refractory PV in a patient with stable esophageal cancer, five years after undergoing radiation therapy.

Arthritis and Diagnostics in Lyme Disease.

The diagnosis of Lyme disease, caused by is clinical but frequently supported by laboratory tests. Lyme arthritis is now less frequently seen than at the time of its discovery. However, it still occurs, and it is important to recognize this, the differential diagnoses, and how laboratory tests can be useful and their limitations.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome in a Patient with Giant Cell Arteritis During Short Term Tocilizumab Therapy.

This case report represents a rare life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction of tocilizumab drug when it is used to treat giant cell arteritis. An elderly female with history of bilateral giant cell arteritis with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy of the right eye was started on tocilizumab after developing glucocorticoid-related complications. She received one month of the tocilizumab therapy along with the prednisone taper.

Is nasal saline irrigation all it is cracked up to be?

Objective: This review examines the literature regarding nasal saline irrigation in the management of sinonasal disease. We explore the various properties of nasal irrigation solutions and their effects on nasal symptoms.

Data Sources: English-language studies identified from MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials through December 2011.

Controversies regarding long-acting β2-agonists.

Purpose Of Review: This review examines the literature regarding the efficacy and safety of long-acting β2-agonists as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids.

Recent Findings: The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2009 guidelines and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) 2007 asthma guidelines recommend adding long-acting β2-agonists to patients inadequately controlled on inhaled corticosteroids. These recommendations must be balanced against published data which demonstrate a signal of increased morbidity and mortality with use of long-acting β2-agonists.

Impact of intracoronary cell therapy on left ventricular function in the setting of acute myocardial infarction: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials.

Objectives: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of clinical trials on intracoronary cell therapy after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Background: Intracoronary cell therapy continues to be evaluated in the setting of AMI with variable impact on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Methods: We searched the CENTRAL, mRCT, and PubMed databases for controlled trials reporting on intracoronary cell therapy performed in patients with a recent AMI (< or =14 days), revascularized percutaneously, with follow-up of > or =3 months.