RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The OMERACT Ultrasound Group: status of current activities and research directions.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 848
OP 851
VO 34
IS 4
A1 Richard J Wakefield
A1 Maria-Antonietta D'Agostino
A1 Annamaria Iagnocco
A1 Emilio Filippucci
A1 Marina Backhaus
A1 Alexander K Scheel
A1 Fredrick Joshua
A1 Esperanza Naredo
A1 Wolfgang A Schmidt
A1 Walter Grassi
A1 Ingrid Moller
A1 Carlos Pineda
A1 Andrea Klauser
A1 Marcin Szkudlarek
A1 Lene Terslev
A1 Peter Balint
A1 George A W Bruyn
A1 Wijnand A A Swen
A1 Sandrine Jousse-Joulin
A1 David Kane
A1 Juhani M Koski
A1 Philip O'Connor
A1 Sanja Milutinovic
A1 Philip G Conaghan
A1 OMERACT Ultrasound Group
YR 2007
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/34/4/848.abstract
AB Ultrasound (US) is a relatively new imaging modality in rheumatology that offers great potential as a diagnostic and management tool. In 2004, an OMERACT Ultrasound Special Interest Group was formed to address the metric qualities of US as a potential outcome measure. A preliminary systematic review highlighted the deficiencies in the literature, particularly with regard to the reliability of interpreting and acquiring images; as a consequence, a number of exercises were proposed to address these issues. This report describes a series of iterative studies that have resulted in improved intra- and inter-reader reliability for detecting and scoring synovitis from both static and real-time images of the hand joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The reliability of acquiring images was also enhanced using standardized positions. Future studies will assess the value of US in clinical trials.