Imaging News

LONDON — The systemic use of ultrasound in the follow-up of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis is not justified, based on results of the ARCTIC trial, which were presented here at the EULAR Annual Congress.

The rheumatology community has relied on radiographs as the primary imaging modality for several decades and for good reason. It is reliable, easy to use, familiar to patients and relatively cost-effective. However, advances in technology have brought a host of modalities into the fold, from previously existing approaches — such as MRI and PET — to those with just a decade or so of use, like musculoskeletal ultrasound.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — At the Fourth Annual Basic and Clinical Immunology for the Busy Clinician, M. Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, discussed the use of MRI in the identification of bone marrow edema and other non-radiographic features of spondyloarthropathies.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with chest pain may undergo multiple CT scans for pulmonary embolism, and while multiple scans were associated with a lower likelihood of positive results and a higher risk for malignancy, researchers suggest the magnitude of risk should not discourage the use of CT when clinically indicated.

Although a placebo effect was observed with both sham and experimental treatment, functional connectivity was altered and apparent on MRI in patients with fibromyalgia who underwent repetitive transcranial direct current stimulation applied to the motor cortex, according to recently published research from investigators at the University of Michigan.

The presence of sacroiliitis as evidenced on MRI was common in a study of children with juvenile spondyloarthritis, and HLA-B27-positivity and elevated C-reactive protein were most likely to predict the presence of sacroiliitis, according to recently published research.

Power Doppler and grayscale ultrasound scores were responsive to changes in joints following administration of abatacept to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to published study data.

Recently presented research showed MRI may be a helpful tool for monitoring disease activity in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis, particularly when patients have a normal creatine kinase level at baseline.

Royal Philips announced the release of Lumify, a subscription-based smart device ultrasound solution for purchase by licensed U.S. health care providers and organizations.

Although the use of interventional and diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound has increased among many providers, according to researchers from the University of Florida, the value of added testing is unclear.