Inflammatory Back Pain
Inflammatory back pain (IBP) is a relatively recent and well-accepted concept whose precise definition remains elusive. The definition of IBP varies by criteria set, as does its sensitivity and specificity…
Inflammatory Back Pain
Inflammatory back pain (IBP) is a concept, which elements characterize the spinal involvement of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). The identification of patients with IBP depends…
Classification, Diagnosis, and Referral of Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis
The concepts for classification, diagnosis and referral of patients with axial spondyloarthitis differ, although they of course basically relate to the same disease. While classification criteria and referral strategies concentrate…
Epidemiology of Spondyloarthritis
Spondyloarthritis (SpA) represents a group of interrelated diseases with common clinical features and a close association with HLA-B27. Reports of incidence and prevalence of diseases vary depending on methodological differences…
Comparative Safety of Therapies in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypic autoimmune disease with diverse clinical manifestations, affecting virtually all organ systems. A wide variety of medications are used for treatment, depending on organ involvement…
Safe Use of Antirheumatic Agents in Patients with Comorbidities
The burden of comorbid diseases is high among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These are often systemic manifestations of RA but may be chronic conditions that predate or develop post-RA…
Malignancy Risks With Biologic Therapies
The management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) dramatically changed in 1998 with the introduction of etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of RA and Crohn colitis. Nine biologic agents are currently…
Perioperative Drug Safety in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
The expansion of therapeutic options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has improved the functional, quality of life, and radiographic outcomes for patients, although immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive effects may increase the potential…
Infections and Biologic Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at higher risk for serious infections and death from infection than the general public. Prednisone and biologic agents increase this risk, although the risk associated…
Nonserious Infections
Nonserious infections (NSIE) as colds, flu syndromes, and urinary tract infection, are the most common infections seen in patients with immune mediated inflammatory diseases. Yet, little is known about the…
