A comparative review of the different techniques to assess hand bone damage in rheumatoid arthritis.
Inflammatory related hand bone damage in rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by erosions and periarticular osteoporosis and can lead to substantial clinical disability. So far, conventional radiograph has been considered to be the gold standard for detecting bone damage and monitoring disease progression, but it lacks sensitivity. So other techniques have been recently developed to identify erosions earlier, to be able to change therapy; if necessary. This report reviews, in its first part, the different ways of detecting erosions such as conventional radiograph, magnetic resonance imaging or imaging ultrasonography and, in its second part, the techniques used for the assessment of hand periarticular osteoporosis like dual-X-ray absorptiometry, digital-X-ray radiogrammetry or quantitative ultrasonography.
Fouque-Aubert
Anne
A
Unité Inserm U831, service de rhumatologie, université de Lyon 1, hôpital Edouard-Herriot, 5, place d'Arsonval, 69437 Lyon, France. afamedezine@hotmail.com
Chapurlat
Roland
R
Miossec
Pierre
P
Delmas
Pierre D
PD
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001175:Arthrography; D015519:Bone Density; D018450:Disease Progression; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography