Ultrasonography of hands and wrists in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with suspected disease activity

Ultra-sonografia de mãos e pulsos em doentes com artrite reumatóide com suspeita de actividade da doença

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects the synovial membrane of small joints, which can cause cartilage damage and bone erosion. Ultrasonography with power Doppler (PD) is an important complementary diagnostic and follow-up method for these patients, especially for those in whom the clinical assessment is doubtful and disease activity indices may not clearly and objectively reflect the status of the disease. The objective of this study was to describe joint involvement due to active disease in patients with inconclusive clinical examination in routine visit.