Conditions We Treat

The term “immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID)” is used to describe any condition, disease or disorder in which the body’s immune system responds irregularly, causing or triggering inflammation. Typically, an irregular immune response (or immune dysregulation) is when the immune cells behave abnormally, overreacting and attacking the body instead of protecting it.

All rheumatic disorders fall under this category, as well as other autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and psoriasis.

Also known as Bechterew’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rare type of arthritis that affects your vertebrae, often resulting in pain and stiffness in your spine. The word “ankylosis” means “consolidation of bones or other hard tissue,” and “spondylitis” means “inflammation of the vertebrae.”

Early symptoms may start in your lower back and hips, particularly in the morning or after long periods of inactivity. It can spread up to your neck or damage joints in other parts of your body, especially if left untreated. Consulting with a rheumatologist can help ensure you find the right treatment path for you.

Read more about ankylosing spondylitis symptoms and risk factors.

Classified as one of the spondyloarthropathies, enteropathic arthritis, or EnA, is a form of inflammatory arthritis that occurs in association with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

About one in five people diagnosed with an IBD will develop enteropathic arthritis, but in some cases joint inflammation can develop before bowel inflammation. The limbs are affected most often with swollen, red and painful joints, but the spine can also be involved resulting in back pain and stiffness.

Read more about enteropathic arthritis symptoms and risk factors.

Gout is a type of arthritis caused by an excess of uric acid in your blood, also known as hyperuricemia. Your body naturally generates uric acid to break down a chemical called purine which is found in your body and in certain meats and sugary drinks. When there’s too much uric acid, it forms crystals in one or more of your joints – causing the painful swelling and inflammation.

Affecting more than 8 million Americans, gout typically occurs with the big toe but can also be in your ankle, wrist, elbow, or knee. Gout flare-ups can last anywhere from 3 to 10 days, but typically the first 3 days are the most painful. You may not get another attack or flare-up for another month, or years – but it’s important to get diagnosed and treated as early as possible to mitigate or even avoid the next attack.

Read more about gout symptoms and risk factors.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), is a type of arthritis that causes joint inflammation for more than six weeks in children under the age of 16. Relatively rare, JIA currently affects about 50,000 children in the U.S., roughly less than 1 out of every 1,600 children.

Knee joint inflammation is the most common symptom of JIA, though some children may also experience fevers, skin rashes, decreased appetite or weight loss. Every child’s experience with JIA is different in terms of symptoms and length of remissions and flare-ups. And while some children may experience growth problems such as decreased height or abnormal jaws, others may not experience any growth issues at all.

Read more about juvenile idiopathic arthritis types and symptoms.

Lupus is a disease of the immune system, or an autoimmune disease. The most common type, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is typically referred to simply as lupus. Instead of protecting your body from infection, the immune system attacks its tissues, causing inflammation, swelling, pain and damage. Symptoms vary person to person but most often include fatigue, joint pain, fever, and a skin rash.

Read more about lupus symptoms and risk factors.

Sometimes referred to as “overlap disease,” mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is typically diagnosed in people who experience a combination of symptoms from multiple diseases. Because of the nature of the disease, diagnosis can be difficult due to the wide range of symptoms.

The most common symptoms are that of lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and myositis, and early signs often involve the hands or feet such as swollen or cold fingers or toes, and/or color changes to white or blue. Lung inflammation is also associated with MCTD in nearly 80% of cases.

Read more about mixed connective tissue disease symptoms and risk factors.

Also known as idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), myositis is the umbrella term for any condition that causes muscle inflammation. The most common types of inflammatory myositis include polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

While some people experience a temporary type of myositis, such as sore muscles after an extreme physical activity or exercise, more serious cases can be caused by injury, infection, electrolyte imbalances, thyroid disease, or an abnormal immune system.

Read more about myositis symptoms and risk factors.

A rare type of inflammatory condition, polymyalgia rheumatica affects large muscle groups, such as hips and shoulders. The word polymyalgia means “many muscle pains” and rheumatica means “changing” or “in flux.” Symptoms include muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue, fevers, and weight loss.

Other illnesses are sometimes confused with polymyalgia rheumatica, including rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and even cancer. It’s important to consult with your rheumatology specialist as soon as possible for an appropriate, prompt diagnosis and treatment plan.

Read more about polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms and risk factors.

Pseudogout is a type of arthritis which, like gout, is caused by crystal deposits within joints. The main difference between pseudogout and gout lies in the type of crystals that form, in addition to pseudogout being generally less painful than gout.

Pseudogout is also referred to as calcium pyrophosphate crystal disease (CPPD) arthritis because it is caused by the build-up of calcium crystals in the joint fluid. Similar to gout, the result is often a sudden attack of pain in the affected area – though for pseudogout the most commonly affected joint is the knee, compared to the big toe in gout.

Read more about pseudogout symptoms and risk factors.

Affecting more than 1 million people in the U.S., psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune condition that affects the skin and joints with inflammation. About 30% of people who have psoriasis, a skin disease that causes a scaley red rash, also have PsA.

Symptoms are sometimes confused with rheumatoid arthritis, but PsA affects joints on only one side of the body, and more commonly affects skin, eyes, and nails. Psoriatic arthritis may also cause other conditions such as spondylitis which affects the spine, enthesitis affecting ligaments or tendons, and dactylitis affecting fingers or toes.

Read more about psoriatic arthritis symptoms and risk factors.

Formerly referred to as Reiter’s syndrome, reactive arthritis is a type of arthritis that affects the joints, eyes, urinary tract, and skin with inflammation. Triggered by bacteria, reactive arthritis is usually contracted by eating spoiled food or through sexual contact with an infected person. As a result, the most commonly associated bacterium includes salmonella and chlamydia.

Men between the ages of 20 and 40 are the most affected demographic, and those with HIV are at an even higher risk. However, reactive arthritis only occurs within certain people with the bacteria. The reason for that may be due to genetic factors, but the cause has yet to be fully identified.

Read more about reactive arthritis symptoms and risk factors.

An autoimmune condition affecting about 1% of adults in the U.S., rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of arthritis that affects the joints’ lining, called the synovium. What distinguishes RA from other types of arthritis is the symmetrical affect, where joints on both sides of the body are affected, such as both hands or both knees.

The severity and rate of symptoms vary as it affects everyone differently, and with proper diagnosis and attention from a trained rheumatologist, the condition can last only a short while and go into remission.

Read more about rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and risk factors.

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that affects your skin, connective tissue, and internal organs by producing too much of the protein collagen. An excess of collagen can cause scarring on the lungs and kidneys, thickening of blood vessels or tightening of your skin. There are two types: localized scleroderma mainly affects the skin, while systemic or generalized scleroderma can involve many body parts or systems.

Read more about scleroderma symptoms and risk factors.

Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that affects your glands in charge of making moisture, such as your tear ducts or saliva glands. The most common symptoms include dryness of the mouth, eyes, throat, or nose. Other symptoms may include a change in taste or smell, swollen glands, skin rashes, and fatigue.

While the exact cause is unknown, Sjogren’s is more common in women over the age of 40 and in people who have other autoimmune diseases.

Read more about Sjogren’s syndrome symptoms and risk factors.

Spondyloarthropathies are forms of arthritis that typically affect the bones in your spine and nearby joints. Ankylosing spondylitis is the most common form, which affects the vertebrae, the joints between the bones of your spine.

Other forms include undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, reactive arthritis, Reiter’s syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, and enteropathy spondyloarthropathy. About 1% of American adults have some type of spondylarthritis condition.

Read more about spondyloarthropathies symptoms and risk factors.

Vasculitis, also known as angiitis or arteritis, is a rare autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the blood vessels, resulting in narrowing and inflammation of arteries, veins and capillaries. Types of vasculitis are grouped into large, medium and small vessel. An example of a large vessel vasculitis is polymyalgia rheumatica.

Read more about vasculitis symptoms and risk factors.