Power Doppler ultrasound assessment of rheumatoid hand synovitis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate power Doppler ultrasound (PD) as a technique in assessing response to treatment with steroids in rheumatoid hand synovitis.


METHODS
Twelve patients with rheumatoid hand synovitis were assessed before and after treatment with steroids. Variables used to assess synovitis activity in each patient included patient visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain, physician assessment score (PAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and PD of the metacarpophalangeal joints.


RESULTS
Nine female and 3 male patients were studied; mean age was 53.3+/-6.5 yrs and mean disease duration 6.5+/-4.5 yrs. All patients had a good clinical response to steroid treatment and there was a significant improvement in the synovitis activity assessments. Wilcoxon signed-rank test using the exact method was applied to the change in disease activity variables. For PD signal, p < 0.002; VAS, p < 0.0016; ESR, p < 0.031; PAS, p < 0.008.


CONCLUSIONS
PD quantifies synovitis and may be a useful adjunct to disease assessment and the response to treatment in RA.
Stone
M
M
Department of Rheumatology, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Bergin
D
D
Whelan
B
B
Maher
M
M
Murray
J
J
McCarthy
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013585:Synovitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*
D013256:Steroids