HSS rheumatologists including Medha Barbhaiya, MD, MPH,  Caroline H. Siegel, MD, MS, Lisa R. Sammaritano, MD, Michael D. Lockshin, MD, and Lucy Masto, BS, share their insights with The Rheumatologist on undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and HSS's registry aimed at improving diagnosis, tracking progression, and enhancing patient care.

UCTD is a diagnosis given to patients who do not fulfill current classification criteria for named connective tissue diseases (CTD)—systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), or Sjögren’s disease—but who nonetheless have clinical signs and symptoms and serological evidence of autoimmune CTDs.

To improve understanding and acceptance of a UCTD diagnosis, the Barbara Volcker Center at HSS, has created a prospective Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease and Overlap Registry that systematically reviews medical records of patients with UCTD to verify they do not meet ACR/EULAR-endorsed classification criteria for SLE, SSc, RA, Sjögren’s, inflammatory myopathy or antiphospholipid syndrome, then annually collects clinical data and biologic samples.

Read the full article at the-rheumatologist.org.