Saturday’s “A Guide to Navigating the Waters of Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica” session with Rebecca Manno, MD, MHS, included a look at the potential use of tocilizumab, which the FDA has given a breakthrough therapy designation for these conditions.

“I think there’s room for further data and evidence, but in general, I think we use this in our patients for the benefits of joint preservation, enhancing work productivity, improving quality of life, and enhancing the probability of remission,” said John M. Davis, MD, MS.

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is routinely used in some surgical centers. ACI is the only cell-based therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration for cartilage repair routinely covered by both public and private insurance plans, said Andreas Gomoll, MD.

Ravi Suppiah, MBChB, MD, FRACP, and members of the steering committee responsible for overseeing the update will explain the need for revised classification criteria, highlight the changes to the classification criteria, and demonstrate how to apply the criteria appropriately.

“We now know of antibody-mediated diseases that did not have an explanation and were probably misdiagnosed previously in many cases and not appropriately treated,” said Tracey Cho, MD.

Across different populations of Native Americans tend to have higher frequency of some rheumatic diseases, said Judith A. James, MD, PhD, including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Jon T. Giles, MD, MPH, one of the session presenters, will discuss adiposity and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.

“Rheumatology professionals need to be online because that is where their patients are,” said LeAnna J. Carey, MBA.

Andrea Kalus, MD, will review and update practicing rheumatologists on common, and not so common, lupus-associated skin diseases and how to approach diagnosis and treatment.