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The following is a summary of “Ultrasound in the Management of Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis: Systematic Literature Review and Novel Algorithms for Pragmatic Use,” published in the January 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Gouze et al.
Since 2015, European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) guidelines have included ultrasound (US) for both spondyloarthritis (SpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) diagnosis and management, but PsA specifics remain under development.
Researchers embarked on a retrospective study to systematically review the literature on ultrasound’s role in PsA management and create pragmatic algorithms for its clinical application.
They convened a team of 10 rheumatologists skilled in the musculoskeletal US to create essential questions for a systematic literature review (SLR), evaluate the existing evidence, and devise algorithms for using the US in suspected or confirmed PsA. The algorithms were derived from literature findings and expert opinions from Delphi.
The results included 120 articles in the SLR, primarily concentrating on diagnostics. The substantial number of retrieved articles indicates rheumatologists’ keen interest in utilizing the US for PsA management. Following a consensual discussion of literature data and expert opinion, three practical algorithms were developed: suspicion of PsA, management of PsA with good clinical response, and management of PsA with less clinical response.
Investigators concluded that rheumatologists embrace PsA ultrasound: our 3 clinical algorithms guide diagnosis and treatment, while future research targets remission and severity prediction.
Source: jrheum.org/content/51/1/50
