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Ankle pain in rheumatoid arthritis: comparison of clinical and sonographic findings

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Abstract

To describe the prevalence and distribution of clinical and ultrasound (US) pathological findings at ankle level and to compare them, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study assessing patients diagnosed with RA according to the 2010 ACR criteria, who were recruited consecutively and independently of disease status or treatment and of the presence of pain at ankle level. Clinical and US findings were acquired by two independent rheumatologists. US assessments were performed according to the EULAR and OMERACT indications. A total of 224 ankles of 112 RA patients were examined. One hundred (89.3%) patients were women and 12 (10.7%) were men, with a mean age of 51 years. RA mean disease duration was 72 months. Ankle spontaneous pain was found in 56.2% of the patients. In 65.2% of the patients, US found at least one pathologic sign indicative of joint and/or tendon pathology. Using grayscale US, joint involvement was more frequently found than tendon pathology (37.5% vs 22.3%). Conversely, no substantial difference was found between the prevalence of power Doppler signal at joint and tendon level. There was a significant correlation between clinical findings and US findings indicative of tibiotalar joint synovitis and peroneal tenosynovitis. In the present study, pain and US pathologic findings at ankle level were described and compared in a cohort of RA patients. Spontaneous pain was found in more than half of the patients and US found joint involvement more prevalent than tendon pathology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Ultrasonido Musculoesquelético y Articular, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación “Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra”, Calz. Mexico Xochimilco 289, Col. Arenal de Guadalupe, Del Tlalpan, 14389, Mexico City, ZC, Mexico

    Cristina Hernández-Díaz & L. Ventura-Ríos

  2. Departamento de Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de México, Edificio A Planta Baja, Facultad de Medicina, Circuito Interior, Ciudad Universitaria, Avenida Universidad 3000, 04510, Mexico City, ZC, Mexico

    G. Sánchez-Bringas

  3. Reumatólogo Práctica Privada, Centro Médico Metepec, Juan Pablo II 341, Zona Sin Asignación de Nombre de Col 1, 52140, Metepec, State of Mexico, Mexico

    M. Robles-San Román

  4. Clínica Reumatológica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ospedale “Carlo Urbani”, Via Aldo Moro 25, 60035, Jesi Ancona, Italy

    E. Filippucci

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  1. Cristina Hernández-Díaz
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  2. G. Sánchez-Bringas
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  3. L. Ventura-Ríos
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  4. M. Robles-San Román
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  5. E. Filippucci
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Correspondence to Cristina Hernández-Díaz.

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Hernández-Díaz, C., Sánchez-Bringas, G., Ventura-Ríos, L. et al. Ankle pain in rheumatoid arthritis: comparison of clinical and sonographic findings. Clin Rheumatol 38, 2891–2895 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04532-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04532-2

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