🎙 Episode 17 — Autoinflammatory Diseases: Beyond Autoimmunity

In this in-depth episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj unpacks the world of autoinflammatory diseases—conditions driven by the innate immune system rather than by autoantibodies or autoreactive T cells.

🔑 What you’ll learn:

• How autoinflammation differs from autoimmunity
• Pathophysiology of inflammasomes, IL-1, and innate cytokines
• Clinical features of FMF, TRAPS, CAPS, Still’s disease, and DADA2
• Diagnostic red flags and laboratory clues
• Modern treatment strategies: colchicine, IL-1 blockers, IL-6 inhibitors, and TNF agents
• The concept of the autoimmune–autoinflammatory spectrum

📍 Ideal for residents, postgraduates, and clinicians who want to sharpen their understanding of these fascinating syndromes and their management.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙 Episode 16 — Vasculitis: When Blood Vessels Become Targets

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind takes us through the fascinating and challenging world of vasculitis syndromes. What happens when the body’s own immune system launches an attack on blood vessels? How do we recognize the signs—rashes, neuropathy, organ ischemia—that point toward this diagnosis? And what are the principles of management, from glucocorticoids to biologics like rituximab?

Clear, structured, and clinically grounded, this session is designed for residents and fellows who want to sharpen their reasoning skills in approaching systemic vasculitis.

🔑 Key takeaways:

• Classification of vasculitis (large, medium, small vessel)
• Clinical red flags not to miss
• Diagnostic tools: ANCA, biopsy, imaging
• Treatment strategies and pitfalls

Tune in and deepen your understanding of one of the most complex yet rewarding areas in rheumatology.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

Episode 15 — Description:

🩺 Scleroderma may start with cold fingers — but it’s much more than that. In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind breaks down the types, symptoms, antibodies, and treatment strategies for this multi-system autoimmune disease. Whether you’re a medical professional or just curious, this is your guide to decoding scleroderma.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 14 – Pulmonary Hypertension in Connective Tissue Diseases: A Silent Threat

“Breathlessness in systemic sclerosis isn’t always lung fibrosis — sometimes it’s the right heart struggling.”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj explains how to detect and manage pulmonary hypertension in connective tissue diseases before it’s too late.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• Which CTDs are most at risk
• How to screen effectively and confirm the diagnosis
• Core treatment principles for better outcomes

🎯 Why listen? Because spotting PH early can save lives.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 13 – Macrophage Activation Syndrome: When the Immune System Turns Deadly

“In rheumatology, missing MAS by a few hours can cost a life.”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj breaks down the complexities of Macrophage Activation Syndrome — a hyperinflammatory crisis that can complicate systemic JIA, lupus, and other rheumatic diseases.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• The clinical and laboratory red flags that point toward MAS
• How to differentiate MAS from a flare or infection in critically ill patients
• The latest evidence-based strategies for rapid diagnosis and targeted treatment

🎯 Why listen? Because in MAS, speed is everything — the earlier you act, the higher the survival rate.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 12 – Scleroderma Renal Crisis: When Blood Pressure Is the Killer

“In systemic sclerosis, a sudden BP spike is never just hypertension.”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj explains how to recognize, prevent, and treat scleroderma renal crisis before irreversible kidney damage occurs.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• The high-risk patient profiles you must monitor closely
• The subtle and classic presentations of SRC
• Why ACE inhibitors — not just BP control — are life-saving

🎯 In systemic sclerosis, catching SRC early can mean the difference between full recovery and lifelong dialysis.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 11 – Pulmonary–Renal Syndrome: Treat First, Confirm Later

“Two failing organs. One urgent decision.”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj explains how to recognize and act fast in Pulmonary–Renal Syndrome — one of the deadliest emergencies in rheumatology.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• The hallmark signs of PRS and how to spot them early
• Why you must start treatment before confirmation
• The essential workup and first-line management steps

🎯 PRS is rare but deadly. Don’t let hesitation be the reason for organ loss.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 10 – Why Normal Creatinine Doesn’t Mean Normal Kidneys

“The silent kidney damage you might be missing.”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj explains why creatinine can give a false sense of security, and how to detect early kidney involvement before it’s too late.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• Why creatinine is muscle-dependent, not just kidney-dependent
• The importance of eGFR, urine protein, and microscopic analysis
• How to catch lupus nephritis and vasculitis before irreversible damage

🎯 A must-listen for anyone managing autoimmune patients — because kidney damage is easiest to treat before creatinine rises.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 9 – When to Suspect Vasculitis: Clues You Can’t Ignore

“The patient’s symptoms don’t match a single system — is it vasculitis?”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj shares the skin signs, organ red flags, and diagnostic approach that can help you spot vasculitis before irreversible damage occurs.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• Why multi-system symptoms should raise a red flag
• The difference between purpura and “palpable” purpura
• How to connect organ clues and order the right tests

🎯 Vasculitis is rare, but missing it can be deadly. This episode gives you the pattern-recognition skills to act in time.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 8 – ANA Positive, But Nothing Else: What Should I Do?

“Isolated ANA positivity: red flag or red herring?”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj unpacks one of the most misunderstood lab results in medicine — a positive ANA in an otherwise asymptomatic patient.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• What ANA really means — and how common it is in healthy people
• How to interpret titers and patterns
• When to investigate further — and when to confidently reassure
• 
  

🎯 Not all positive labs point to disease.

Learn when to act, when to wait, and how to counsel anxious patients clearly and correctly.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 7 – Why Seronegative Doesn’t Mean Inactive

“No antibodies? No inflammation? Think again.”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj takes on a common clinical myth — that autoimmune diseases can be ruled out by negative antibodies.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• Why seronegative RA is still erosive and disabling
• How HLA-B27-negative axial SpA can be missed — especially in women
• When to suspect ANA-negative lupus, and what else to test

🎯 Seronegativity doesn’t mean disease inactivity.

Autoimmunity is more than just labs — it’s about listening to the patient’s story.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 5 – When RF Is Positive, But It’s Not RA

“Doctor, my Rheumatoid Factor is positive — do I have RA?”

Not so fast.

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj unpacks the diagnostic and prognostic value of Rheumatoid Factor (RF) — and why a positive result often leads to confusion.

🧠 In just 7 minutes, you’ll learn:

• What RF actually measures (and why it’s not specific)
• Non-RA causes of RF positivity — from infections to Sjögren’s
• How to interpret RF alongside anti-CCP and clinical signs

🎯 RF is a clue — not a verdict.

Learn to use it wisely, and stop overdiagnosing RA.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 5 – What’s the Real Value of ESR and CRP in Rheumatology?

“CRP is down, but the patient isn’t better. Now what?”

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj breaks down the two most overused — and misunderstood — inflammatory markers in clinical practice: ESR and CRP.

🧠 In this 7-minute deep dive, you’ll learn:

• How ESR and CRP actually work — and why they often don’t match
• Disease-specific pitfalls in RA, PsA, SLE, PMR, vasculitis, and fibromyalgia
• When to trust these markers — and when to ignore them

From sprinting CRPs to slow-moving ESRs, this episode helps you decode inflammation with clinical clarity.

🎯 Because in rheumatology, treating the number is easy. Treating the patient takes skill.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 4 – Fatigue in Rheumatology: It’s Not Just the Inflammation

“My CRP is normal, doctor. So why am I still exhausted?”

In this powerful episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj dives deep into one of the most frustrating clinical realities — persistent fatigue in patients with autoimmune diseases, even when inflammation is controlled.

🧠 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why fatigue doesn’t always correlate with disease activity

• The difference between inflammatory and non-inflammatory fatigue

• Practical strategies to evaluate and manage fatigue in RA, SLE, and Sjögren’s

🌟 Fatigue is real, disabling, and often dismissed. This episode reminds us that treating the disease doesn’t always mean treating the patient.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎙️ Episode 3 – Urine is Cheap. Renal Failure Isn’t.

In this episode, Dr. Aravind Palraj explores a test that’s often overlooked but can be lifesaving — the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR).

Renal involvement in connective tissue diseases is frequently silent — and by the time creatinine rises, significant damage may already be done.

🧠 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why UACR should be a routine part of CTD follow-up
• The limitations of serum creatinine and dipsticks
• How subtle proteinuria may be the first sign of a lupus flare

🩺 Whether you’re managing lupus, Sjögren’s, MCTD, or overlap syndromes — this 5-minute clinical pearl will sharpen your renal radar.

🎧 Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

🎓 Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

📍 Madras Medical College, Chennai

📱 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

In this episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj breaks down a common clinical trap: when to repeat ANA.

📌 Learn why ANA is a gatekeeper, not a tracker

📌 Understand when repeat testing causes more confusion than clarity

📌 Hear the 3 clinical rules to follow before you re-order that test

🎙️ Host: Dr. Aravind Palraj

Senior Resident, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology

Madras Medical College, Chennai

🔗 Follow on X: @Rheumat_Aravind

🎧 Daily podcast on clinical clarity in rheumatology

#RheumRounds #MedTwitter #Rheumatology #Autoimmune #ANA

In this debut episode of RheumRounds, Dr. Aravind Palraj shares a core clinical truth: “Don’t chase labs. Chase the story.”

We unpack why positive ANA or RF without symptoms can mislead—and how clinical reasoning must guide testing, not the other way around.

🎯 Perfect for: Rheumatology residents, physicians, and students

🩺 Topic: Lab interpretation, ANA pitfalls, story-based diagnosis

🎙️ Follow for daily clinical pearls in rheumatology

🔗 X (Twitter): @Rheumat_Aravind