Abstract
An increasing number of rheumatologists have access to ultrasound equipment that provide both color and power Doppler modes, which can be used to investigate musculoskeletal and vascular pathologies. Musculoskeletal Doppler ultrasonography can be used to estimate levels of inflammation, to document the anti-inflammatory effect of agents such as corticosteroids and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, to differentiate between inflammatory and degenerative disease, and to distinguish between normal and inflamed joints in cases of minor synovial swelling. Vascular Doppler ultrasonography can be used to determine organ involvement in small-vessel vasculitides, to delineate aneurysms in vasculitides of medium-sized arteries, and to assess the characteristic findings in large-vessel vasculitis. Numerous studies, including a meta-analysis, have been published on the use of temporal-artery ultrasonography for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis. Duplex ultrasonography is a sensitive approach for detecting characteristic edematous wall swellings in active temporal arteritis and for assessing vasculitis of the axillary arteries (large-vessel giant cell arteritis) in patients with suspected temporal arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, or fever of unknown origin. Duplex ultrasonography can also be used to assess vasculitis of subclavian and carotid arteries in younger patients with Takayasu's arteritis and acute finger artery occlusions in patients with small-vessel vasculitides.
Key Points
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Doppler ultrasonography provides clinically important information in rheumatology
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Doppler ultrasonography of joints and tendons allows for assessment of inflammation, documentation of the effect of anti-inflammatory agents, and differentiation of inflammatory disease from degenerative disease
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Semiquantitative evaluation of color signals is most commonly used: Grade 0, no color signal; grade 1, single vessel signals; grade 2, confluent vessel signals; grade 3, more than 50% of the area of the synovium is covered with color signals
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In small-vessel vasculitides, ultrasonography assesses pathologies that are secondary to vasculitis; in medium-sized-artery vasculitides, aneurysms can be detected; in large-vessel vasculitides, ultrasonography delineates characteristic, homogeneous, circumferential wall swellings
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In temporal arteritis, further characteristic signs of inflammation are stenosis and acute occlusion
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In patients with temporal arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, or fever of unknown origin, it is recommended that the axillary arteries are investigated with Doppler ultrasonography, as large-vessel giant cell arteritis is more common than previously thought
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Schmidt, W. Technology Insight: the role of color and power Doppler ultrasonography in rheumatology. Nat Rev Rheumatol 3, 35–42 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncprheum0377
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncprheum0377
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