Summary
This study aimed to investigate the association between ultrasound (US) entheseal abnormalities assessed by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) and the presence of US-detected joint bone erosions in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
In a cross-sectional study involving 104 patients with PsA, bilateral US assessments were conducted at various entheses, and variables such as hypoechogenicity, thickening, Doppler signal proximity to the bony cortex, calcification/enthesophyte, and bone erosion were recorded. The presence of US joint bone erosions was examined at specific joints. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with US-detected joint bone erosions.
The results revealed that patients with PsA exhibiting power Doppler (PD) signals at the enthesis, bone erosions at the enthesis, longer PsA disease duration, and greyscale joint synovitis were more likely to have US-detected joint bone erosions. The study concludes that PD signal and bone erosions at the enthesis can serve as sonographic biomarkers indicating a more severe subset of PsA in terms of US-detected joint erosive damage.
