ULTRASONOGRAPHIC IMAGING OF THE HAND AND WRIST IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Objective. To assess ultrasound findings in patients with rheumatoid a rthritis affecting the hand and wrist compared to normal volunteers. D esign. Metacarpophalangeal and carpal articulations were imaged ultras onically. Two readers reviewed static images for synovial, cartilagino us, and bony abnormalities using severity and probability scales. Ultr asound findings were correlated with disease activity. Patients. Ten n ormal volunteers and 29 patients with known rheumatoid arthritis. Resu lts. Synovial abnormalities and erosions were most commonly identified in the rheumatoid hand and wrist (p<0.01). Criteria used for normal a nd abnormal cartilage did not predict normal and disease states. Signi ficant differences in synovial abnormalities and erosions were observe d between the inactive and mildly active disease groups as well as the active and mildly active disease groups (p<0.01). Conclusion. Ultraso und can detect abnormalities of the hand and wrist in patients with rh eumatoid arthritis compared to normal volunteers. Normal articular ana tomy is well demonstrated ultrasonically.