Ultrasound Measurements at the Proximal Phalanges in Male Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

Abstract

Bone ultrasound parameters at the proximal phalanges of the hands were measured in 55 male patients with psoriatic arthritis (PA) (39 with peripheral radiologic involvement and 16 with axial involvement), comparing the findings with those in 16 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, 20 ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and 55 age- and sex-matched normal controls. Mean values of amplitude-dependent speed of sound (Ad-SoS) and ultrasound bone profile score (UBPS) were significantly lower in RA (p < 0.001 and p < 1 x 10(-5)) and PA (p < 0.03 and p < 1 x 10(-6)) patients than in controls, while there was no statistically significant difference between AS patients and healthy subjects. Ultrasound parameters showed a significant negative correlation with age in all groups. In each patient group ultrasound values were unrelated either to disease duration or to inflammatory indices such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Moreover no significant differences were observed between ultrasound parameters of the dominant and the nondominant hand. PA patients with and without axial radiologic changes did not show any differences in ultrasound parameters. However, PA subjects with peripheral involvement only had significantly higher Ad-SoS (p < 0.04) and UBPS (p < 0.04) values than RA patients. PA patients with axial lesions had significantly lower (p < 0.04 and p < 0.01) ultrasound values than AS patients. These findings suggest that PA ultrasound techniques performed at the peripheral level are of value to speculate on bone involvement, although we think that ultrasound measurements cannot yet be recommended for monitoring bone involvement in these patients.

Osteoporosis in psoriatic arthritis: Is there any?

“…showed that values were unrelated to disease duration or to ESR and C-reactive protein [55]. Also, in the sample of patients with PsA from India, no correlation was found between BMD and the duration of the disease [56].…”

The Ultrasound Imaging Module: A Report from the GRAPPA 2010 Annual Meeting

“…Some investigators concentrated their efforts on an anatomical area 7,8,9,10 . Of note, Falsetti, et al studied the lateral deltoid origin and proposed that sonographic signs of enthesitis at this site may have a high diagnostic specificity 7 .…”

Ultrasound Velocity in Bone Under Disrupted Blood Supply

“…Changes in the acoustic properties of the bones of upper extremities have been recently studied [9][10][11][12] with regard to different diseases. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge within the framework of the composite (holistic) model regarding the mechanisms of bone regeneration and the role of bone in the result and complications at replantation of upper extremities.…”