To investigate the complex appearance of vascularity of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) in ankylosing spondylitis. Sixty-eight patients and 35 controls were included in the study. Blood flow was examined at the SIJ by using color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS). The location of color flow signs and flow pattern were observed. Arteries do not present reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse Doppler sonography, and if they were found inside and around the SIJ, the resistive index (RI) was measured. In active AS patients, the region of SIJ presented increased vascularization greater than those in inactive AS (P = 0.001) and the controls (P = 0.001). There are three different spectral Doppler tracings: arterial flow (RI < 1), arterial flow representing reversed phase in diastolic phase on spectral Doppler sonography and venous flow. Besides arterial flow signs, most of color flow signs presented venous flow in active AS. Significant increases in a number of venous flow signs in active AS cases (P < 0.001) were observed. In most cases, two or more different flow patterns presented in a region very close to the location of SIJ. In addition, a different vascularization was observed. Abnormal vascularization at the sacroiliac joints can be detected by CDUS. The vascularization in SIJ presented complex appearance, which increases the difficulties of CDUS examination. Venous blood flow in the assessment of active AS merits further study.
The results of the study suggest that aspirating calcified deposits do not affect patient outcome. Puncturing the calcified deposits (without aspiration) appears to be an effective treatment method for calcifying supraspinatus tendinitis.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) to detect changes in the sacroiliac joint regions after infliximab (an anti-TNF-α blocker) treatment in active axial ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. A total of 110 sacroiliac joints in 55 patients with active AS were detected by PDUS before and after the infliximab treatment. The color flow signals inside the sacroiliac joints were observed, and the resistance index (RI) was measured. The clinical condition of the AS patients was improved compared with their condition before the infliximab treatment. Before the treatment, color flow signals were observed in 103 joints, and the mean RI value was 0.56 ± 0.06. Three months after the first infliximab treatment, color flow signals were observed in 50 joints, and the mean RI value was 0.87 ± 0.11. There were more blood flow signals in the sacroiliac joints before the infliximab treatment in patients with active AS (p < 0.01), and the mean RI value was higher after the infliximab treatment (p < 0.01). The blood flow signals in the sacroiliac joints became weaker or even disappeared and the RI values increased in patients with active sacroiliitis after infliximab treatment. This result shows that PDUS can be used in the follow-up of patients with axial AS.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.