Assessment of disease activity with quantitative joint power Doppler ultrasonography in patient with rheumatoid arthritis - Assessment of disease activity with quantitative joint power Doppler ultrasonography in patient with rheumatoid arthritis

Results: Quantitative power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) was significantly correlated with enhancement rate of MRI in each single finger joint. Comparing quantitative synovial vascularity and radiographic change in single MCP or PIP joint, the level of vascularity at baseline showed significant positive correlation with radiographic progression at the 20th week. The change of vascularity responded to DMARDs, defined as the percentage change in vascularity by the 8th week from baseline, was inversely correlated with radiographic progression in each MCP joint. Quantitative PDUS method was more useful than semi-quantitative method for the evaluation of synovial vascularity in single finger joint.