A diagnostic algorithm for persistence of very early inflammatory arthritis: the utility of power Doppler ultrasound when added to conventional assessment tools

Abstract

In seronegative patients with early IA, combining PDUS with routine assessment can have a major impact on the certainty of diagnosis.

Clinical relevance of targeted ultrasound of the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint in an early inflammatory arthritis cohort: Comment on the article by Sheane et al

“…Importantly for clinicians, the "added value" of US above routine clinical evaluation was not reported; in the 3 UA patients subsequently diagnosed with RA, what was the rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) status? It is also noteworthy that a positive power Doppler (PD) signal was more likely to be found in the RA group, supporting concepts that PD-positivity on US may be a useful diagnostic biomarker for studies of UA (8 …”

Joint Ultrasonography in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pathogenetic Rationale, Possible Use in Diagnosis, Therapy Efficiency Evaluation, and Outcome Prediction

“…Такая же взаимосвязь была подтверждена J. Freeston и соавт. [50], наблюдавшими пациентов с РА, у которых наличие «ак-тивного» воспаления по данным ЭД являлось предиктором нарастания клинической активности заболевания при дальнейшем наблюдении. В работе V. Foltz и соавт.…”

Abatacept reduces disease activity and ultrasound power Doppler in ACPA-negative undifferentiated arthritis: a proof-of-concept clinical and imaging study

“…To minimise the risk of including self-limiting UA, particularly in the absence of autoantibodies, the PD criterion was included as a poor prognosis factor of persistence [10], thus ensuring subjects with definite, active, synovitis with likelihood of persistence of arthritis were recruited. (v) no prior therapy with any DMARD therapy before screening (vi) no intramuscular or intra-articular steroid within 6 weeks prior to baseline was permitted.…”

“…Power Doppler (PD) on ultrasound (US) is a powerful predictive factor of persistent inflammatory arthritis in these autoantibody negative UA [10], and thus a poor prognosis factor that can be used as a tool to select ACPA negative UA at highest likelihood of persistence. The structural outcomes and pathological distinction between PD positive and negative, ACPA negative UA have however not been determined to date.…”