This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Ultrasound may identify enthesitis in patients with psoriasis, musculoskeletal complaints
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Inflammatory disease in entheses may be positively identified using ultrasound on patients with psoriasis accompanied by musculoskeletal complaints, according to the results of a study.
Researchers studied 111 patients with psoriasis of 524 patients enrolled in the SENSOR study who had musculoskeletal pain in joints, entheses or lower back pain. Patients were assessed for psoriatic arthritis using the 2006 ClASsification criteria for Psoriatic ARthritis (CASPAR) and underwent a physical examination, including ultrasound evaluation.
A positive power Doppler signal suggestive of inflammation combined with a clinical feature at the same location was used to define enthesitis. The six entheses and lateral epicondondyl tendon insertions were evaluated and graded according to the Madrid Sonographic Enthesis Index scoring system. Changes detected by ultrasound included increased thickness, calcifications, irregular structure of fibers and erosions.
Abnormalities were detected on ultrasound in 106 (95%) of the patients, and structural changes without symptoms of inflammation were seen in 56 (50%) of the patients. Positive power Doppler signals were observed in 35 patients, and thickened plantar fascia was detected in 15 patients.
Abnormalities detected on ultrasound indicative of inflammatory disease at the entheses in 45% of patients. Combining clinical data with ultrasound findings yielded the positive confirmation of inflammatory disease in 36% of the patients. – by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
van der Ven, et al. Paper #FRI0562. Presented at: European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. June 10-13, 2015; Rome.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.