Preface

Rheumatology in the 21^st century uses current cellular, biochemical and immunologic techniques to explain the etiology of rheumatic diseases. While it is unlikely that molecular biology will differentiate rheumatic diseases into subsets based on their etiology, the genome revolution does provide us with new diagnostic tools, which are already beginning to have an impact.

In the past 20 years there have been substantial advances in the field of rheumatology in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and vasculitis. Following the introduction of the treatment recommendations for RA in 2016 by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), and the introduction of biological agents and targeted synthetic agents in the management of RA, there is a need to consider the selection of the most appropriate therapy for an individual patient and to review how and when to switch treatments in those patients who do not show an optimal response.