 |
|
|
 |
The OMERACT Ultrasound Group: Status of Current Activities and Research Directions
RICHARD J. WAKEFIELD, MARIA-ANTONIETTA D'AGOSTINO, ANNAMARIA IAGNOCCO, EMILIO FILIPPUCCI, MARINA BACKHAUS, ALEXANDER K. SCHEEL, FREDRICK JOSHUA, ESPERANZA NAREDO, WOLFGANG A. SCHMIDT, WALTER GRASSI, INGRID MOLLER, CARLOS PINEDA, ANDREA KLAUSER, MARCIN SZKUDLAREK, LENE TERSLEV, PETER BALINT, GEORGE A.W. BRUYN, WIJNAND A.A. SWEN, SANDRINE JOUSSE-JOULIN, DAVID KANE, JUHANI M. KOSKI, PHILIP O'CONNOR, SANJA MILUTINOVIC, and PHILIP G. CONAGHAN ABSTRACT. 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. (J Rheumatol 2007;34:848–51) Key Indexing Terms:
ULTRASONOGRAPHY From the Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; Ambroise Pare Hospital, Boulogne-Billancourt, France; Rheumatology Unit, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy; University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy; Charite University Hospital, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Department of Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Georg-August University Gottingen, Gottingen, Germany; Department of Rheumatology, St. George Hospital, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia; Department of Rheumatology, Severo Ochoa Hospital, Madrid, Spain; Medical Center for Rheumatology Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain; Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia Ignacio Chavez, Mexico City, Mexico; Department of Radiology II, University Hospital Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; University of Copenhagen Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; The Parker Institute, Frederiksberg Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark; Third Rheumatology Department, National Institute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest, Hungary; Medical Centre Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands; Rheumatology Department, CHU Brest, Brest, France; Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Institute of Rheumatology, Belgrade, Serbia; Department of Radiology, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK; and Mikkeli Central Hospital, Mikkeli, Finland. Dr. F. Joshua is supported by an OMERACT Fellowship. R.J. Wakefield, BM, MD, MRCP, Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology, Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, University of Leeds; M-A. D'Agostino, MD, Assistant Professor, Ambroise Pare Hospital; A. Iagnocco, MD, Consultant Rheumatologist, University La Sapienza; E. Filippucci, MD, PhD, Consultant in Rheumatology, University of Ancona; M. Backhaus, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Rheumatology, Charite University Hospital, Humboldt University; A.K. Scheel, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Rheumatology, Georg-August University Gottingen; F. Joshua, MB BS, FRACP, Rheumatology Research Fellow, Department of Rheumatology, St. George Hospital, University of NSW; E. Naredo, MD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Severo Ochoa Hospital; W.A. Schmidt, MD, Local Director, Medical Center for Rheumatology Berlin-Buch; W. Grassi, MD, Professor of Rheumatology, University of Ancona; I. Moller, MD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Department of Rheumatology, Hospital de Bellvitge; C. Pineda, MD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia Ignacio Chavez; A. Klauser, MD, Consultant Skeletal Radiologist, University Hospital Innsbruck; M. Szkudlarek, MD, PhD, Consultant Rheumatologist, University of Copenhagen Hvidovre Hospital; L. Terslev, MD, PhD, Rheumatologist, The Parker Institute, Frederiksberg Hospital; P.V. Balint, MD, PhD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Third Rheumatology Department, National Institute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest; G.A.W. Bruyn, MD, PhD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Medical Centre Leeuwarden; W.A.A. Swen, MD, PhD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Alkmaar, The Netherlands; S. Jousse-Joulin, MD, Rheumatology Department, CHU Brest; D. Kane, MRCPI, PhD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Adelaide and Meath Hospital; S. Milutinovic, MD, Institute of Rheumatology, Belgrade; P.J. O'Connor, MBBS, MRCP, FRCR, Consultant Skeletal Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Chapel Allerton Hospital; J.M. Koski, MD, Consultant Rheumatologist, Mikkeli Central Hospital; P.G. Conaghan, MB BS, PhD, FRACP, FRCP, Professor of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, University of Leeds. Address reprint requests to Dr. R.J. Wakefield, Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Chapeltown Road, Leeds LS7 4SA, United Kingdom. E-mail: medrjw@leeds.ac.uk
|
