There are many challenges to the management of patients with arthritis that need to be addressed in the future, including, but not limited to, access to specialty care for timely and accurate diagnosis, appropriate use of non-pharmacologic modailities and pharmacotherapy, including targeted small molecule and newer biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), adherence to pharmacotherapy, and addressing comorbid medical conditions in patients with various forms of arthritis.

Connective tissue disorders (CTDs) are part of the systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD) grouping of disorders and include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus), systemic sclerosis (SSc or scleroderma), inflammatory myositis (polymyositis and dermatomyositis), and Sjögren syndrome (SjS). They are characterized by a heterogeneous group of immune-mediated inflammatory signs and symptoms affecting multiple organ systems, including the joints.

Prevalence of Connective Tissue Disorders