Gastroenterologist Shanker Mukherjee, MD, never suspected that he would do some of his finest clinical and diagnostic work after his retirement, with himself as the patient. In early 2016, Dr. Mukherjee developed back pain that initially suggested lymphoma, but after negative cytology left him both relieved and perplexed, he took matters into his own hands. Poring over his medical records and lab results, Dr. Mukherjee arrived at an unusual diagnosis: IgG4-related disease.

In this second episode of The Scope, GEN Managing Editor Sarah Tilyou sits down with Dr. Mukherjee and Allison Yang, MD, MPH, the medical director of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Pancreas Program, in New York City, to discuss Dr. Mukherjee’s experience as doctor-turned-patient, as well as Dr. Yang’s perspective on challenges around diagnosing this rare disease and new treatment options on the horizon.

Check back soon for new episodes of The Scope, and, in the meantime, check out some of our videos on all things gastroenterology.

—GEN Staff