Ultrasound Changes Care of Some Patients with Rheumatic Conditions

Ultrasound can be used to make an appropriate decision regarding care for patients with rheumatic conditions involving the hands and feet, according to a recent study.

The study, performed by researchers from St. Joseph's Healthcare/McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada), included 62 patients. Results showed that, "approximately 50% of patients had a change in management following ultrasound evaluation,” said Dr. Srinivasan Harish, lead author of the study. "Certainty in clinical findings significantly increased following ultrasound, ranging from 24-56% for various findings,” he said.

The study's findings were presented at the 2009 American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) annual meeting in Boston, MA, USA, on April 29, 2009.

"Sonography appears to play a key role in helping rheumatologists determine whether or not disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs [DMARDs] would be useful in patients who are difficult to assess clinically. Results from our study showed that there was a significant decrease in the use of these drugs when these patients had an ultrasound examination. Rheumatologists typically request plain radiographs as their primary imaging modality for rheumatologic diseases. However our study shows that ultrasound may play a more influential role,” concluded Dr. Harish.

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St. Joseph's Healthcare/McMaster University