Ultrasound measurements at the proximal phalanges in male patients with psoriatic arthritis

Bone ultrasound parameters at the proximal phalanges of the hands were meas ured in 55 male patients with psoriatic arthritis (PA) (39 with peripheral radiologic involvement and 16 with axial involvement), comparing the findin gs with those in 16 rheumatoid arthritis (PA) patients, 20 ankylosing spond ylitis (AS) patients and 55 age- and sex-matched normal controls. Mean valu es of amplitude-dependent speed of sound (Ad-SoS) and ultrasound bone profi le score (UBPS) were significantly lower in RA (p <0.001 andp <1 x 10(-5)) and PA (p <0.03 and p <1 x 10(-6)) patients than in controls, while there w as no statistically significant difference between AS patients and healthy subjects. Ultrasound parameters showed a significant negative correlation w ith age in all groups. in each patient group ultrasound values were unrelat ed either to disease duration or to inflammatory indices such as erythrocyt e sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Moreover no significant differ ences were observed between ultra-sound parameters of the dominant and the nondominant hand. PA patients with and without axial radiologic changes did not show any differences in ultrasound parameters. However, PA subjects wi th peripheral involvement only had significantly higher Ad-SoS (p <0,04) an d UBPS (p <0.04) values than RA patients. PA patients with axial lesions ha d significantly lower (p <0.04 and p <0.01) ultrasound values than AS patie nts. These findings suggest that PA uItrasound techniques performed at the peripheral revel are of value to speculate on bone involvement, although we think that ultrasound measurements cannot yet be recommended for monitorin g bone involvement in these patients.