Diana Girnita MD, PhD Founder of Rheumatologist Oncall

Case Rep Rheumatol.  2016;2016:8536341. doi: 10.1155/2016/8536341. Epub 2016 Jul 31. A Unique Presentation of Anti-RNA Polymerase III Positive Systemic Sclerosis Sine Scleroderma. Lee CM 1 ,  Girnita D 2 ,  Sharma A 3 ,  Khanna S 2 ,  Elwing JM 4 . Author information Abstract Systemic sclerosis is a rare autoimmune disorder with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and a multitude of autoantibodies that are associated with it. In the past several years, advances in serologic testing have led to research indicating important prognostic and phenotypic associations with certain subsets of autoantibodies. In particular, anti-RNA polymerase III (anti-RNAP III) has been associated with diffuse cutaneous disease, scleroderma renal crisis, a temporal relationship with malignancy, myositis, synovitis, joint contractures, and gastric antral vascular ectasia. However, anti-RNAP III has not been associated with systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma. ...

Case Review: Lupus Patient with Acute Disseminating Encephalomyelitis January 19, 2018   • By Teresa Sosenko, MD, Anca Musetescu, MD, PhD, Neha Gandhi, MD, Scott Friedstrom, MD, & Diana Girnita, MD, PhD Systemic lupus erythematosus  (SLE) is an autoimmune-mediated rheumatic disease characterized by multisystem involvement that can cause significant morbidity and mortality.  Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis  (ADEM) is a rare, fulminant, autoimmune-mediated, demyelinating disease involving the white matter of the central nervous system (CNS), and is considered a manifestation of neuropsychiatric lupus. Few reported cases involve SLE and ADEM occurring simultaneously. Some of these cases were preceded by an infection, but others had no identifiable cause. One 2015 study suggests SLE can present as ADEM, because both occur due to abnormal immune regulation. 1  ADEM with lupus rarely appears in the literature, and ADEM as the initial presentation is eve...