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Ultrasound resistive index, power Doppler, and clinical parameters in established rheumatoid arthritis

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A Correction to this article was published on 02 November 2017

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Abstract

Ultrasonography (US) is a useful tool for the evaluation of sinovial vascularization and proliferation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Accordingly, resistive index (RI) on spectral Doppler (sD) US provides a quantitative analysis of vascular inflammation, but its utility in the evaluation of RA activity has not been established. Our objective was to determine the association of RI with other US parameters of synovitis and with clinical disease activity in established RA. Patients with positive power Doppler (pD) were included in a prospective cross-sectional study. Disease activity and disability were evaluated using the Disease Activity Score in 28-joints (DAS28) and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), respectively. Gray scale (GS) synovitis, pD, and sD analyses were performed by one of two examiners in wrists and the second and third metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints. The 10-joint GS and 10-joint pD scores and mean RI were then calculated. Weighted kappa (WK) values were employed to assess interobserver reability, and correlations were tested using the Spearman coefficient. Ninety-five RA patients (median duration of disease of 7 years and mean DAS28 of 4.32 ± 1.66) were included. WK values in real-time US were 0.77 for synovitis, 0.87 for pD, and 0.68 for RI. There were no significant correlations of RI with 10-joint GS, 10-joint pD, DAS28, joint counts, or HAQ (P > 0.10 for all tests). Patients in remission had a mean RI similar to those with high disease activity (0.62 ± 0.10, n = 15 versus 0.63 ± 0.13, n = 34, respectively). The addition of the RI score did not seem to improve US performance in patients with established RA.

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Change history

  • 02 November 2017

    The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained an error. One of the author's name on this article was incorrectly spelled as “José Alexandre de Mendonça”. The correct spelling is “José Alexandre Mendonça” and is now presented correctly in this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Department, Universidade Pontifícia Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Melissa Cláudia Bisi, Aline Defaveri do Prado, Deise Marcela Piovesan, Inês Guimarães da Silveira & Henrique Luiz Staub

  2. Rheumatology Department, São Lucas Hospital da PUCRS, Av. Ipiranga 6690, sala 220, Porto Alegre, RS, 90480-002, Brazil

    Melissa Cláudia Bisi

  3. Rheumatology Service, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Grupo Hospitalar Conceição (GHC), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Aline Defaveri do Prado & Markus Bredemeier

  4. Rheumatology Department, Universidade Pontifícia Católica de Campinas (PUCCAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil

    José Alexandre de Mendonça

Authors
  1. Melissa Cláudia Bisi
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  2. Aline Defaveri do Prado
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  3. Deise Marcela Piovesan
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  4. Markus Bredemeier
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  5. Inês Guimarães da Silveira
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  6. José Alexandre de Mendonça
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  7. Henrique Luiz Staub
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melissa Cláudia Bisi.

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The local ethics committee approved the study and all patients signed a written informed consent.

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Additional information

A correction to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-017-3882-4.

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Bisi, M.C., do Prado, A.D., Piovesan, D.M. et al. Ultrasound resistive index, power Doppler, and clinical parameters in established rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 36, 947–951 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3507-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3507-3

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