title: Disparity between ultrasound and clinical findings in psoriatic arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between psoriatic arthritis (PsA)-specific clinical composite scores and ultrasound-verified pathology as well as comparison of clinical and ultrasound definitions of remission.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective study on 70 consecutive PsA patients. Clinical assessments included components of Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) and the Composite Psoriatic Disease Activity Index (CPDAI). Minimal disease activity (MDA) and the following remission criteria were applied: CPDAI joint, entheses and dactylitis domains (CPDAI-JED)=0, DAPSA≤3.3, Boolean's remission definition and physician-judged remission (rem-phys). B-mode and power Doppler (PD-) ultrasound findings were semiquantitatively scored at 68 joints (evaluating synovia, peritendinous tissue, tendons and bony changes) and 14 entheses. Ultrasound remission and minimal ultrasound disease activity (MUDA) were defined as PD-score=0 and PD-score ≤1, respectively, at joints, peritendinous tissue, tendons and entheses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DAPSA but not CPDAI correlated with B-mode and PD-synovitis. Ultrasound signs of enthesitis, dactylitis, tenosynovitis and perisynovitis were not linked with clinical composites. Clinical remission or MDA was observed in 15.7% to 47.1% of PsA patients. Ultrasound remission and MUDA were present in 4.3% and 20.0% of patients, respectively. Joint and tendon-related PD-scores were higher in patients with active versus inactive disease according to CPDAI-JED, DAPSA, Boolean's and rem-phys, whereas no difference was observed regarding enthesitis and perisynovitis. DAPSA≤3.3 (OR 3.9, p=0.049) and Boolean's definition (OR 4.6, p=0.03) were more useful to predict MUDA than other remission criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PsA-specific composite scores partially reflect ultrasound findings. DAPSA and Boolean's remission definitions better identify MUDA patients than other clinical criteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Rusmir
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Husic
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gretler
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Felber
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Winfried B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Graninger
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Kufstein, Kufstein, Austria.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duftner
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dejaco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013717:Tenosynovitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: DAS28; Disease Activity; Psoriatic Arthritis; Spondyloarthritis; Ultrasonography