title: Automated Breast Volume Scanner, a new automated ultrasonic device, is useful to examine joint injuries in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the clinical application of automated scanning of wrist and finger joints by an Automated Breast Volume Scanner (ABVS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 140 metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and 28 wrist joints from the 14 active RA patients were examined by both an ABVS system (the ACUSON S2000) from dorsal sites and by conventional ultrasonography (US) from multiple directions on the same day. We used a semiquantitative scale from 0 to 3 of synovial hypertrophy and the presence of bone erosion by grayscale for both methods; the efficacy of the two methods for identifying synovial hypertrophy and bone erosion were evaluated by kappa coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scanning time of the ABVS was 2 min per patient and that of conventional US was 15 min per patient. The kappa coefficients of synovial hypertrophy in the MCP joints were 0.60 and 0.79 in wrist joints. These values were increased in the joints where synovial hypertrophy was moderate to severe (scores greater than 2). The kappa coefficients for the presence of bone erosion in the MCP joints were 0.74 and 0.93 in wrist joints.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data showed a substantial agreement between ABVS and conventional US for assessments of the synovial hypertrophy and bone erosion of wrist and finger joints in patients with RA. Since ABVS can scan the wrist and finger joints automatically in a short time, ABVS is a helpful new ultrasonic method to examine joint injuries in patients with RA.
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.|b Department of Public Health , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Shin-Ya
authors: SY
authors: Kawashiri
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Takahisa
authors: T
authors: Suzuki
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Ayako
authors: A
authors: Nishino
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Yoshikazu
authors: Y
authors: Nakashima
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Yoshiro
authors: Y
authors: Horai
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Iwamoto
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Kunihiro
authors: K
authors: Ichinose
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Mami
authors: M
authors: Tamai
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Nakamura
authors: c Health Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Tomoki
authors: T
authors: Origuchi
authors: d Radiological Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Isomoto
authors: d Radiological Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Masataka
authors: M
authors: Uetani
authors: b Department of Public Health , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Kiyoshi
authors: K
authors: Aoyagi
authors: a Departments of Immunology and Rheumatology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Kawakami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Automated Breast Volume Scanner; Bone erosion; Rheumatoid arthritis; Synovial hypertrophy