The field of rheumatology covers arthritis and  immune mediated diseases/ autoimmune diseases. Many rheumatologic diseases require complex medical analysis and understanding and often pose as mysteries with variable presentations. Patients with autoimmune diseases can remain undiagnosed  for a very long time with multiple unresolved distressing symptoms.

 

Many  of these immune mediated diseases can attack  vital organs like bone & joints, kidneys, lungs, eyes, nervous system, blood & lymphatic system, heart, skin practically every organ system in the body. They can potentially result in significant morbidity and mortality, if unaddressed. There has been a significant rise of autoimmune diseases in recent years. Diagnosis of rheumatologic diseases requires a good understanding of many fields of medicine due to the complexity of involvement in these diseases. 

 

Many of these complex diseases require high skills with patient examination, analysis of complex laboratory tests, radiological tests and biopsy analysis to arrive at the appropriate diagnosis. Successful treatment of most rheumatologic diseases involves oral medications or injections or infusions to stabilize the immune system which require experience in handling. Advances in Rheumatology have brought millions of people with rheumatologic diseases back to normal life. However, since every human body is unique and diverse,  the treatment of these diseases are to be customized to individual patients which requires a lot of experience and expertise.