Latest Updates

Evaluation and Treatment of Monogenic Forms of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 

    • Advanced genetic platforms have identified more than 50 different monogenic disorders causing inflammatory bowel disease.
    • A monogenic cause of inflammatory bowel disease should be suspected in patients with atypical or severe IBD phenotypes.
    • The diagnosis of monogenic defects is made through a combination of functional immunologic studies and DNA sequencing (whole exome sequencing).
    • Monogenic IBDs usually present in the first years of life, but several diseases manifest adolescence or adulthood.
    • Identifying a monogenic form of inflammatory bowel disease can lead to tailored specific therapy (eg, stem cell transplantation) and have major impact on patient’s care.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

    • A 2018 Rheumatology guideline for the management of adult systemic lupus erythematosus
    • A 2015 Diagnosis, Monitoring, and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines. Arthritis Care and Research

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

    • A 2018 Rheumatology guideline for the management of adult systemic lupus erythematosus
    • A 2015 Diagnosis, Monitoring, and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines. Arthritis Care and Research

Hemorrhoids

    • Rubber band ligation remains the most effective nonexcisional technique available.
    • Advanced energy devices such as the LigaSure technique and Harmonic scalpel have demonstrated a modest decrease in immediate postoperative pain with equal efficacy when compared to the traditional excisional hemorrhoidectomy, however at a greater cost.
    • At this time, stapled hemorrhoidopexy and Doppler-guided hemorrhoidal dearterialization have not been shown to have a clear advantage over the traditional excisional hemorrhoidectomy.

Parotidectomy

    • Although facial nerve injury is the most feared complication of parotidectomy, consent should include reference to the common sequelae of cosmetic deformity, earlobe numbness, salivary fistula, and gustatory sweating.
    • The facial nerve dissection may be performed in antegrade fashion from the main trunk of the facial nerve distally or, if the main trunk cannot be exposed, from a peripheral branch proximally.
    • Complete superficial parotidectomy with exposure of all branches of the facial nerve is seldom necessary, although it may be mandated by tumor size.
    • Nerve branches sacrificed due to tumor involvement or inadvertently injured should be repaired primarily or with a cable graft at the time of injury rather than in a staged procedure.

Food Allergies

    • Prescription of targeted allergen elimination diet as the treatment for known or strongly suspected food allergy
    • Consultation with a nutritionist for growing children in whom elimination diets might affect growth; and patients with multiple food allergies, poor growth parameters, or both
    • Emphasis on awareness of anaphylaxis and swift intervention

Food Allergies

    • Prescription of targeted allergen elimination diet as the treatment for known or strongly suspected food allergy
    • Consultation with a nutritionist for growing children in whom elimination diets might affect growth; and patients with multiple food allergies, poor growth parameters, or both
    • Emphasis on awareness of anaphylaxis and swift intervention

Pathophysiology and Treatment of Cystinuria

    • Identifying cystinuria as an associated risk factor for chronic kidney disease
    • Demonstration of cystine obstruction in the nephron initiating a renal inflammatory process
    • Identification of new potential therapeutic agents including a-lipoic acid, L-cystine dimethyl ester, 1-cystine bismorpholide, and 1-cystine bis (N-methylpiperazide)
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