Power Doppler sonography in knee arthritis - a pilot study

We compared power Doppler sonography to laboratory indices of disease activ ity in patients with knee arthritis to determine the clinical relevance of hypervascularity. Eight healthy volunteers and 22 patients with symptoms an d signs of knee arthritis were studied. Presence or absence of hypervascula rity, synovial thickening, effusion, and Baker's cysts were recorded. Disea se activity was measured by erythrocyte sedimentation rate, c-reactive prot ein, alpha (2)-globulins, sideremia, hemoglobinemia, and serum white cell c ount. Various grades of synovial hyperemia were found in 12/22 cases. Patie nts with and without synovial hypervascularity showed statistically signifi cant differences in age (P = 0.017), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ( P = 0.039), hemoglobinemia (P = 0.009), and sideremia (P = 0.012). Power Do ppler sonography is able to demonstrate synovial hyperemia, which is correl ated with some laboratory indices of inflammation.