Results Thrombotic events have been associated with antiphospholipid antibodies in autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) from deep vein thromboses (DVT) or in situ pulmonary arterial thrombosis is uncommon in rheumatic diseases, especially in children. The diagnosis and treatment of PTE may be delayed due to a paucity of symp...

The last few decades have witnessed an increased life expectancy of patients suffering with systemic rheumatic diseases, mainly due to improved management, advanced therapies and preventative measures. However, autoimmune disorders are associated with significantly enhanced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality not fully explained by traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. It ha...

Musculoskeletal pain can be difficult for children to characterize. Primary care physicians must determine whether the pain may be caused by a systemic disease. Change in activity, constitutional symptoms such as fevers and fatigue, or abnormal examination findings without obvious etiology should raise suspicion for rheumatic disease. A complete physical examination should be performed to look ...