Robert Keenan, MD, MPH, MBA, presented one of five late-breaking abstracts on the final day of ACR Convergence 2023. He discussed research showing the efficacy of AR882 in gout compared to allopurinol. Other cutting-edge science in the session related to immunosuppressant use in long-term IgG4-RD, TLR7/8 inhibition in cutaneous lupus erythematosus, long-acting steroid injections for…

Experts in the field including Daniel Kastner, MD, PhD, discussed their work on extrapolating insights on the mechanisms of specific inborn errors of immunity to more common rheumatologic diseases. Dr. Kastner gave an overview of the landscape of inborn errors of immunity, highlighting immunodeficiencies, autoimmunity, and autoinflammatory diseases.

Anifrolumab gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for use in systemic lupus in 2021, and the drug has had positive results among adults and adolescents with recalcitrant cutaneous lupus erythematosus, too. Katharina S. Shaw, MD, reviewed commonly observed rashes in rheumatologic patients and how to treat them.

Self-compassion is a way to protect against burnout for healthcare professionals. Vaneet Sandhu, MD, MS, RhMSUS, explained how compassion fatigue and fear of compassion are related, and how to incorporate compassion curriculum into healthcare training.

Rheumatologists may be tempted to use steroids in patients with very active disease as they wait for a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug to take effect. But Vivian Bykerk, MD, cautioned in a Meet the Panel session that this strategy can be counterproductive.

Brent P. Goodman, MD, Arun D. Varadhachary, MD, PhD, and Julius Birnbaum, MD, discussed the challenging complications of the nervous system that can present in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, as well as practical strategies for the management of them.

Panelists provided insight into the forthcoming ACR guidelines on systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease associated with interstitial lung disease. Sindhu R. Johnson, MD, PhD, discussed some of the 50 recommendations in the guideline.

Doruk Erkan, MD, MPH, and Jason S. Knight, MD, PhD, explained the antiphospholipid syndrome classification criteria developed by the ACR and EULAR, including clinical features, risk stratification of macrovascular events, re-defined pregnancy morbidity definitions, and more.

An expert panel on lupus treatment highlighted the 2023 update to the EULAR recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus. Maria Dall’Era, MD, Richard Furie, MD, and Marta Mosca, MD, PhD, led the discussion using patient cases to illustrate how to manage the challenges lupus can present.