title: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: what is the utility of ultrasound?
abstract: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a heterogeneous condition and an important cause of acquired disability in children. Evidence supports early treatment to prevent future complications. This relies on prompt diagnosis, achieved by a high index of clinical suspicion and supportive evidence, including the detection of joint and or tendon inflammation. Ultrasound is a readily accessible, well-tolerated, safe and accurate modality for assessing joints and the surrounding soft tissues. It can also be used to guide therapy into those joints and tendon sheaths resistant to systemic treatments. Ultrasound imaging is highly operator dependent, and the developing skeleton poses unique challenges in interpretation with sonographic findings that can mimic pathology and vice versa. Ultrasound technology has been rapidly improving and is more accessible than ever before. In this article, we review the normal appearances, highlight potential pitfalls and present the key pathological findings commonly seen in JIA.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Hershernpal A S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0482-6654
authors.initials: HAS
authors.lastname: Basra
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Humphries
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D014463:Ultrasonography