During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to provide high-level care for a large number of patients with COVID-19 has affected resourcing for, and limited the routine care of, all other conditions. The impact of this health emergency is particularly relevant in the rare connective tissue diseases (rCTDs) communities, as discussed in this Perspective article by the multi-stakeholder European Reference Network on Ra...
Pregnancy requires a special management in women with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RDs), with the aim of controlling maternal disease activity and avoiding fetal complications. Despite the heterogeneous course of RDs during pregnancy, their impact on pregnancy largely relates to the extent of active inflammation at the time of conception. Therefore, accurate evaluation of disease activity is crucial for the...
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) encompass a heterogeneous group of rare autoimmune diseases characterised by muscle weakness and inflammation, but in antisynthetase syndrome arthritis and interstitial lung disease are more frequent and often inaugurate the disease. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been proposed for IIMs, but they are sparse and heterogeneous. This work aimed at identifying: i)...
Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a complex autoimmune rheumatic disease that specifically targets salivary and lachrymal glands. As such, patients typically had ocular and oral dryness and salivary gland swelling. Moreover, skin, nasal and vaginal dryness are frequently present. In addition to dryness, musculoskeletal pain and fatigue are the hallmarks of this disease and constitute the classic symptom triad presente...
The term 'undifferentiated connective tissue disease' (UCTD) is generally used to describe clinical entities characterised by clinical and serological manifestations of systemic autoimmune diseases but not fulfilling the criteria for defined connective tissue diseases (CTDs). In this narrative review, we summarise the results of a systematic literature research, which was performed as part of the ERN ReCONNET p...
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a complex overlap disease with features of different autoimmune connective tissue diseases (CTDs) namely systemic sclerosis, poly/dermatomyositis and systemic lupus erythematous in patients with antibodies targeting the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle. In this narrative review, we summarise the results of a systematic literature research which was performed ...
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the paradigm of systemic autoimmune diseases characterised by a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations with an unpredictable relapsing-remitting course. The aim of the present work was to identify current available clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for SLE, to provide their review and to identify physicians' and patients' unmet needs. Twenty-three original guidelines pu...
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a rare disease characterised by venous and/or arterial thrombosis, pregnancy complications and the presence of specific autoantibodies called antiphospholipid antibodies. This review aims to identify existing clinical practice guidelines (CPG) as part of the ERN ReCONNET project, aimed at evaluating existing CPGs or recommendations in rare and complex diseases. Seventeen paper...
OBJECTIVES: Develop recommendations for women's health issues and family planning in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and/or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). METHODS: Systematic review of evidence followed by modified Delphi method to compile questions, elicit expert opinions and reach consensus. RESULTS: Family planning should be discussed as early as possible after diagnosis. Most women can have successful ...
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can be affected by a multitude of neurologic and psychiatric symptoms with a wide range of prevalence and severity. Irrespectively from attribution to SLE or other causes, neuropsychiatric (NP) symptoms strongly impact short-term and long-term outcomes,thus NP evaluation during routine clinical practice in SLE should be undertaken regularly. The assessment of NP ...