Subclinical involvement of hands and feet joints in psoriasis patients : ultrasono graphy and magnetic resonance imaging study

Abstract EN

Objective.

To evaluate musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) in the detection of subclinical hands and feet joint involvement in psoriasis patients by comparison with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods.

Thirty Patients with plaque psoriasis with no clinical or radiological signs of arthritis attending outpatient dermatology clinic of Assiut University Hospitals were enrolled in the study.

All patients underwent clinical examination (including dermatological and rheumatological examination), MSUS, MRI, X-ray evaluation of the hands and feet joints.

Results.

Both MSUS and MRI were sensitive in detecting subclinical joint inflammation (synovitis), and bone abnormalities in psoriatic patients with normal conventional radiographs.

Of the total examined joints (2520), synovitis was detected by MSUS in 23.69%, erosions in 9.04%, and bone proliferation in 22.14%.

MRI detected synovitis in 15.83%, erosions in 0.75%, and bone marrow edema in 1.35%.

A significant correlation was found between the subclinical psoriatic arthritis detected by MSUS with the presence of nail psoriasis.

Conclusion.

Both MSUS and MRI were sensitive in detecting significant prevalence of subclinical involvement in hands and feet joints of psoriasis patients, this suggests that PsA could be a much more common disorder than was previously suspected.

When comparing MSUS with MRI, MSUS identified more synovitis and erosions, and osteoproliferation was only detected by MSUS, whereas bone