The development and validation of measures of disease activity, damage, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over the past 30 years has been fundamental in advancing research and care for patients with adult and juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). These efforts have resulted in the development of core set measures of disease activity and damage for myositis, and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR)-endorsed Myositis Response Criteria, which have been successfully implemented in IIM clinical trials and which recently facilitated the US Food and Drug Administration licensure of intravenous immunoglobulin for dermatomyositis (DM)..

Radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) has a 7-year average diagnostic delay. While the impact of sex or gender on time to diagnosis has been evaluated, the role of social determinants of health remains understudied. We assessed whether time from initial clinical documentation of r-axSpA symptoms to r-axSpA diagnosis (diagnostic delay) varies based on sex, race, ethnicity, or the presence of social needs.

polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disorder of the elderly characterized by girdle pain and stiffness. Obesity has an influence on disease activity and outcome in rheumatic diseases like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but its relationship to the severity and outcome of PMR is unknown.

Paget disease of bone (PDB) is a chronic skeletal disorder caused by abnormal bone remodeling. Although neurological complications are uncommon, they may arise in advanced cases, particularly with skull involvement.

Our aim was to develop an ultrasonographic scoring model for staging hypofunction of salivary gland (SG) in patients suffering from Sjögren's disease (SjD).

Tocilizumab (TCZ) is effective for giant cell arteritis (GCA). However, little is known regarding treatment modification and clinical outcomes after unfavorable events, such as GCA relapses or TCZ discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs).

To evaluate the cardiac involvement in patients with Still's disease with a focus on myocarditis included in the multicenter AIDA (AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance) network Still's disease registry. To exploit the predictive factors for myocarditis in deriving a clinical risk patient profile for this severe manifestation.

Evidence for an association of smoking with gout is conflicting. We assessed associations of current and past smoking with gout in an Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) population.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a low-grade B cell extranodal lymphoma characterized by clonal marginal zone lymphocyte proliferation. We report a case of MALT lymphoma with a relapsing polychondritis (RP)-like phenotype, manifesting as rapidly progressive tracheal stenosis requiring tracheotomy.

Tumoral calcinosis (TC) is a syndrome of unknown etiology characterized by calcium salt deposition in soft tissues. A case of infected TC with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is described.

Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia (PJP) is an opportunistic infection that may affect patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The objective of this project was to describe the incidence of PJP among patients with SLE.

Little is known about perceptions of aging among individuals living with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Gaining this knowledge could help to identify targets for future behavioral interventions aimed at successful aging with SLE. This qualitative study sought to elicit the lived experiences, and essence, of aging from older adults with SLE.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) may not reflect patients in clinical practice. The objective was to perform a meta-analysis of PsA patients' characteristics in RCTs of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), and to compare them to patient profiles in a real-world study.

The Spondylitis Association of America (SAA) and the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) convened a conference on the campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on September 28 and 29, 2023, to identify unmet needs in spondyloarthritis (SpA) research. The conference featured presentations by experts in areas of disease endotypes, pain, innovative imaging in SpA, health disparities in rheumatic diseases, and therapeutics. Members of the conference planning committee moderated the sessions and led the development of manuscripts summarizing recommendations to address unmet research needs. Early career investigators were invited to submit abstracts, which were presented at a networking session during the conference. Here, we highlight each of the sessions comprising the conference in the form of manuscripts published together as a conference summary.

Among patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), persistent pain remains a critical unmet need. In this review, we discuss the prevalence of chronic pain and fibromyalgia in patients with axSpA and examine the existing knowledge on the pathophysiology of chronic pain in SpA, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Finally, we discuss the specific unmet needs that must be addressed to improve long-term outcomes in axSpA, specifically those that will improve chronic pain in this patient population.