Chief: Bianca Marasini

The Rheumatology Unit in Humanitas Clinical Institute is an University –related Unit interested in problems involving articulations, muscles and bone structures and systemic autoimmune diseases through out-patient clinics, day-hospital and regular hospitalizations.

In particular this Unit follows the diagnosis and therapy of:

osteoarticular diseases

- systemic, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Reiter’s Syndrome, Gout, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Rheumatic Fever, Paget’s disease, Osteoporosis, etc.
- localized osteoarticular diseases including shoulder periarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, fasciitis, etc.

systemic autoimmune diseases , including Systemic Sclerosis, Systemic Lupus Erithematosus, Sjögren’s Syndrome, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, "Overlap" Syndromes, Anti-phopholipid Antibody Syndrome, Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis, etc.

vasculitides (e.g. Horton’s arteritis, Behcet’s disease, Takayasu’s arteritis, etc.).

The Unit dedicates particular care to Raynaud’s Phenomenon and its consequences; in particular, the Unit has acquired an important and long experience in the study and therapy of Raynaud’s Phenomenon, either idiopathic or Connective Tissue Disease-associated (e.g associated with Systemic Sclerosis). Particular attention is for trophic skin lesions, gastro-oesophageal complications, pulmonary arterial hypertension (a serious manifestation of Connective Tissue Diseases, including Systemic Sclerosis, which can now be well-controlled with new therapies) and for therapies such as intravenous prostanoids (a therapy usually given in a Day-Hospital regimen) and anti-endothelin drugs (Bosentan).

The Humanitas Rheumatology Unit is an “authorized center” for the dispensation of “biological drugs” which are active in various forms of arthritis; and recently a dedicated out-patient clinic has been established for patients treated with these drugs.

There are out-patient Clinics completely dedicated to several disease or disease-associated features: every monday there is a Clinic for Raynaud’s Phenomenon and Systemic Sclerosis, every wednesday a Clinic for “biologic drugs”, and twice a week there is a Clinic for osteometabolic diseases (osteoporosis, osteomalcia, Paget’s disease). Moreover, one out-patient Clinic has been established in collaboration with the Oncology Unit in order to follow women with breast cancer at risk for osteoporosis.