Book excerpt: This handbook is a practical guide to inpatient and outpatient rheumatology consultations. It focuses on how to approach rheumatological problems, how to perform a musculoskeletal examination and arthrocentesis, and which medications are appropriate, including dosage and recommended monitoring. Content includes overviews of the major rheumatic diseases and sections on crystalline arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthropathies, vasculitis, infectious causes of arthritis, and miscellaneous rheumatology consultations.