Proposal for a sonographic classification of target joints in rheumatoid arthritis

The purpose of this study was to classify sonographically the joint damage of target joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During a 3-year cross-sectional study, standardized arthrosonography of symptomatic target joints was performed in patients with RA. According to those findings, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Rheumatology international 2005-04, Vol.25 (3), p.215-219
Main Authors: LERCH, Klaus, BORISCH, Nicola, PAETZEL, Christian, GRIFKA, Joachim, HARTUNG, Wolfgang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - classification
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - diagnostic imaging
Biological and medical sciences
Cohort Studies
Disease Progression
Diseases of the osteoarticular system
Early Diagnosis
Elbow Joint - diagnostic imaging
Elbow Joint - physiopathology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Inflammatory joint diseases
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Observer Variation
Radiography
Range of Motion, Articular - physiology
Reproducibility of Results
Retrospective Studies
Rheumatism
Rheumatoid arthritis
Risk Assessment
Sensitivity and Specificity
Severity of Illness Index
Sex Factors
Ultrasonography, Doppler - methods
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to classify sonographically the joint damage of target joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During a 3-year cross-sectional study, standardized arthrosonography of symptomatic target joints was performed in patients with RA. According to those findings, a classification with progressive deterioration of joint alteration in RA was created that grades visible morphological changes of the joint components. Using elbow joints as a subgroup, inter- and intraobserver reliability was calculated. Examined and included in this study were 1211 joints of 425 patients with RA. The mean disease activity score was 5.2 (range 0.75-7.79). Sonographically visible changes could be classified and divided into six stages. A standardized sonographic evaluation system was developed. In reference to the elbow joint, overall percentages for intra- and interobserver reliability of sonography were 90.8% and 88.8%, respectively. Sonography is a valuable tool for assessing and classifying joint alteration in RA. Particularly in early stages of joint affection, ultrasound is superior to X-ray in detecting soft tissue changes and minor erosions.
ISSN:0172-8172
1437-160X
DOI:10.1007/s00296-003-0418-9