title: Emerging role of ultrasonography in rheumatoid arthritis: optimizing diagnosis, measuring disease activity and identifying prognostic factors.
abstract: Ultrasonography is a sensitive imaging modality that provides valuable information regarding early inflammatory changes that are not detected by clinical examination or X-rays, such as subclinical synovitis and erosions. This information may improve the management of rheumatoid arthritis by providing a more timely and accurate diagnosis, identifying poor prognostic factors, more accurately monitoring response to therapeutic intervention, improving treatment decisions and more accurately assessing remission. Ultrasonography could play a critical role in minimizing disease activity through strict monitoring and aggressive therapeutic adjustment, which has emerged as an approach to improve long-term outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology and Immunotherapy Center, Oak Creek, WI 53154, USA. alvin.wells@rheumatologyitc.com
authors.forename: Alvin F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Haddad
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents