What is the value of musculoskeletal ultrasound in patients presenting with arthralgia to predict inflammatory arthritis development? A systematic literature review.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) is frequently used in several rheumatology practices to detect subclinical inflammation in patients with joint symptoms suspected for progression to inflammatory arthritis. Evaluating the scientific basis for this specific US use, we performed this systematic literature review determining if US features of inflammation are predictive for arthritis development and which US features are of additive value to other, regularly used biomarkers.

Methods

Medical literature databases were systematically searched up to May 2017 for longitudinal studies reporting on the association between greyscale (GSUS) and Power Doppler (PDUS) abnormalities and inflammatory arthritis development in arthralgia patients. Quality of studies was assessed by two

SUBMITTER: van den Berg R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6235211 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature