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Color Doppler ultrasound of
the sacroiliac
joints is an effective diagnostic
tool with good sensitivity and very good specificity for diagnosing active inflammation in Spondyloarthritis.
According to a recently published study in 'The Journal of
Rheumatology', the Color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) depicted adequate diagnostic
properties for detection of sacroiliitis and is also a useful tool in patients
with inflammatory back pain (IBP).
The investigators examined the diagnostic value of Color
Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) for the detection of sacroiliitis in patients with
IBP. Consecutive patients with IBP with suspected axial spondyloarthritis
(SpA), except without a definitive diagnosis, were included in this study. The
control group had consecutive patients with defined SpA with axial involvement.
Within the same week, all the patients underwent clinical assessment, magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI), and CDUS of sacroiliac joints (SIJ). Considering MRI
as the gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV)
and negative predictive value (NPV) for the diagnosis of sacroiliitis by CDUS
were evaluated.
All in all, there were 198 SIJ examined in 99 patients (36
having the previous SpA). There were 61 men (61.6%), with a mean age of 39.8
years (SD 11.3) and a median disease duration of 24 months.
Overall, it was found that CDUS had good sensitivity with exquisite specificity
for the detection of inflamed SIJ, defined by the MRI.
"The results need to be verified in other larger
cohorts", as mentioned by Rosa JE and the fellow investigators.
The Journal of Rheumatology
Value of Color Doppler Ultrasound Assessment of Sacroiliac Joints in Patients with Inflammatory Low Back Pain
Rosa JE et al.
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