Role of ultrasound imaging in individuals at risk of RA

Jackie L Nam; Maria Antonietta D'Agostino

doi:10.1016/j.berh.2017.09.002

Role of ultrasound imaging in individuals at risk of RA

Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2017 Feb;31(1):71-79. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2017.09.002. Epub 2017 Sep 27.

Authors

Jackie L Nam¹, Maria Antonietta D'Agostino²

Affiliations

¹ Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds LS7 4SA, UK. Electronic address: j.nam@leeds.ac.uk.
² APHP, Hôpital Ambroise Paré, Rheumatology Department, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France; INSERM U1173, Laboratoire d'Excellence INFLAMEX, UFR Simone Veil, Versailles-Saint-Quentin University, 78180 Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, France; NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK. Electronic address: maria-antonietta.dagostino@apr.aphp.fr.

PMID: 29221600
DOI: 10.1016/j.berh.2017.09.002

Abstract

Early diagnosis and treatment improves outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Studies have shown that musculoskeletal ultrasound is more sensitive than clinical examination in identifying synovitis. This review aims to address the role of ultrasound in identifying (1) patients with early inflammatory arthritis (IA) at risk of progression to RA and (2) those without clinical synovitis at risk of progression to early IA and therefore early RA.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Inflammatory arthritis; Musculoskeletal; Power Doppler; Rheumatoid arthritis; Ultrasound.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Arthritis, Rheumatoid / diagnostic imaging*
Disease Progression
Early Diagnosis
Humans
Synovitis / diagnosis
Ultrasonography / methods*