Clinical and ultrasound assessment of the knee in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To correlate clinical features with ultrasound (USG) findings in the detection, quantification and follow up of inflammatory signs of knee in children with mono or pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).


METHODS
Thirty patients (11 girls, 19 boys) with pauciarticular JRA (14 with monoarticular and 16 with bilateral knee involvement) were studied. Mean disease duration was 10 months (range 2 months to 5 yr). All knees were classified into two groups, according to the presence or absence of acute inflammation. Clinical assessment and ultrasound was done in all patients on the same day. All the patients received naproxen (15-20 mg/Kg/day) for a period of six months, after which clinical assessment and ultrasound study was repeated.


RESULTS
Synovial proliferation and effusion, was demonstrated in a much higher frequency in those clinically active (Group A) as compared to these in clinical remission (Group B). Statistically significant differences between clinical and USG indices were seen.


CONCLUSIONS
USG of knee is more sensitive than clinical assessment in detection of synovial effusion and thickening and plays a useful role in monitoring evolution of the inflammatory process, its quantification and for follow up.
Kakati
Pratap
P
Department of Radiodiagnosis, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Sodhi
Kushaljit Singh
KS
Sandhu
Manavjit Singh
MS
Singh
Surjit
S
Katariya
Sudha
S
Khandelwal
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009288:Naproxen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D009288:Naproxen