title: [Grey scale and power Doppler ultrasonographic assessment of bone erosion and disease activity in early rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the sensitivity and predictive value of grey scale and power Doppler ultrasound assessment of bone erosionin disease activity in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six patients with early RA underwent blinded sequential clinical, laboratory and ultrasound assessments, and at the same time 20 of these patients underwent X-ray and enhanced MRI. For each patient, 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP) and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) were recorded. The presence of bone erosion and synovitis was investigated in 28 joints by gray-scale and power Doppler ultrasonography. The ultrasound joint count and index for active synovitis with power Doppler signal were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of bone erosions detected by ultrasonography was 5.7 times that of X-ray, while both MRI and ultrasonography were consistent (91.5%). The number of synovitis detected by ultrasonography was 1.6 times as much as by physical examination, and consistent MRI (95.7%). PDUS parameters demonstrated a highly significant correlation with DAS28, ESR and CRP, while a negative correlation with HAQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Grey scale and power Doppler ultrasonography is a sensitive and reliable method to assess bone erosion and inflammatory activity in early RA. PDUS findings may have a predictive value in disease activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Jinwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ni
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Jiesheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013585:Synovitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein