Imaging News

Current smoking and hypertension were found to be correlated with persistent power Doppler ultrasound activity in patients with inflammatory arthritis, according to research presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.

According to research presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, ultrasound has demonstrated value in the evaluation and stratification of musculoskeletal systemic lupus erythematosus, allowing for the detection of clinically significant synovitis in patients who did not have swollen joints or were classified into British Isles Lupus Assessment Group C.

Using sonographic semi-quantitative assessments with serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 as a surrogate marker for scoring shoulder synovitis provided information useful for discriminating polymyalgia rheumatica from elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis, according to research presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.

The use of laser speckle contrast imaging may be a useful tool in assessing Raynaud’s phenomenon in patients with systemic sclerosis, but neither objective nor subjective measurements distinguished which disease was primary, according to study results.

Ultrasound, combined with clinical assessment, may be helpful for identifying patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are suitable candidates for a dose reduction of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies, according to recently published research.

CHICAGO — The most highly read articles on www.Healio.com/Rheumatology following live coverage from the American College of Rheumatology State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium included research on rheumatoid arthritis, statin myalgia, and the need for careful thinking and planning when making clinical decisions.

Secondary Sjögren’s syndrome may be detected in patients with rheumatoid arthritis though ultrasound images of the salivary glands, according to recently published research.

CHICAGO — Despite advances in imaging technologies, radiography remains a useful, first-choice tool in assessing rheumatic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout, as well as disease activity and progression, according to a speaker at the American College of Rheumatology State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, here.

Urate-lowering therapy reduced symptoms and synovitis in patients with gout; however, after 2 years of treatment, a Doppler signal persists in many asymptomatic patients, suggesting subclinical disease activity is present, according to findings from a recently published study.

Patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome were as likely to have comorbidities such as subclinical atherosclerosis and lower bone mineral density as patients with rheumatoid arthritis and more likely to be at risk than healthy individuals, according to recently published study data.