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 Wakefield, Richard J
A1 D'Agostino, Maria-Antonietta
A1 Iagnocco, Annamaria
A1 Filippucci, Emilio
A1 Backhaus, Marina
A1 Scheel, Alexander K
A1 Joshua, Fredrick
A1 Naredo, Esperanza
A1 Schmidt, Wolfgang A
A1 Grassi, Walter
A1 Moller, Ingrid
A1 Pineda, Carlos
A1 Klauser, Andrea
A1 Szkudlarek, Marcin
A1 Terslev, Lene
A1 Balint, Peter
A1 Bruyn, George A W
A1 Swen, Wijnand A A
A1 Jousse-Joulin, Sandrine
A1 Kane, David
A1 Koski, Juhani M
A1 O'Connor, Philip
A1 Milutinovic, Sanja
A1 Conaghan, Philip G
A1 ,
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.