BSR Spondyloarthritis Course, 27 February 2020. Spondyloarthritis: pathogenesis, diagnosis and management

Abstract

High-quality continuous medical education is essential to maintain excellence in healthcare delivery, upskilling professionals and improving patient outcomes. This is particularly relevant when addressing rare disease groups such as the Spondyloarthritis, a group of heterogeneous inflammatory conditions that affect joints and other organs such as the skin, bowel and the eye. Professional bodies such as the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) are well placed to deliver this type of education. In 2020 the BSR ran a dedicated SpA course aimed at rheumatology health care professionals wishing to update their basic knowledge in SpA with a review of the latest advances in the field. Here, we summarise the proceedings of the meeting and discuss the value of such an initiative.

COVID-19 and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis or COVID-19 mimicking eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis?

“…All of the patients were observed to present with respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 was the preliminary diagnosis in all. GGO were present in all cases, however, none of them was PCR positive which was probably the main reason for consideration of other conditions [ 12 – 14 ]. Six of these cases had peripheral eosinophilia as a common feature contradictory to the fact that eosinopenia is more common in COVID-19, reaching a rate of 95% in some studies [ 15 – 18 ].…”