Role of ultrasound disease activity score in assessing inflammatory disease activity in RA patients

What is it about?

Aim of the work: To evaluate role of ultrasound disease activity score (DAS) in assessing joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and its correlation with disease parameters. Patients and methods: Fifty RA were included. All patients were assessed for DAS-28, health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) and X-ray simple erosion narrowing score (SENS). Power Doppler (PD) and grey-scale (GS) US examination were done for all patients. PDUS score for synovitis in 22 joints and GS score for effusion/hypertrophy in 28 joints were included in US DAS calculation. Results: The mean age of the patients was 43.9 ± 10.8 years; 46 females and 4 males and the mean disease duration was 8.7 ± 6.1 years. The mean DAS28 was 5.04 ± 1.2 and HAQ-DI was 1.2 ± 0.7. The mean US DAS was 5.2 ± 1.3 (2.11–7.21). According to the US DAS, patients with high activity had significantly prolonged morning stiffness, higher swollen and tender joint counts, patient and physician global assessment, DAS-28, HAQ-DI, and SENS compared to those with moderate activity or low activity/remission. The mean US erosion count (USEC) was 8.9 ± 6.6 (0–18) and it was higher in patients with high disease activity (p = 0.04). A significant correlation was found between USDAS with DAS28 and HAQ-DI. US DAS showed moderate correlation (r = 0.5, p = 0.001), while USEC showed a strong correlation (r = 0.8, p < 0.001) with SENS.

Featured Image

Photo by Cara Shelton on Unsplash

Photo by Cara Shelton on Unsplash

Why is it important?

US of the hands provided valuable disease activity information more than clinical examination and the DAS 28 significantly correlated with synovial thickness and power Doppler US score

Perspectives