Preliminary Study Of Ultrasonography In The Early Diagnosis Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: Through the changes of the finger joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by high frequency color Doppler ultrasonography and comparison with the radiology and physical examination, to study the use of ultrasonography in the early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods: 36 cases of RA patients were divided into two groups, one group's disease duration was fewer than 2 years, the other's disease duration was equal to or more than 2 years. All patients were recorded the swollen point counts of double wrists,the second metacarpophalangeal joints, the second and third proximal interphalangeal joints and checked the hands ,wrists by X-ray. All patients and 30 cases of normal controls (NC) were checked all joints above-mentioned by using a GE LOGIQ9 colour ultrasonography (US) with a linear transducer of 10MHz。 The synovial thickness, the extensor carpi ulnaris muscle tendon sheath's thickness and the index finger flexor tendon sheath's thickness were measured. Synovitis proliferation, hypervascularization of the pannus, the erosions of the cartilage and the bone under the cartilage , abnormalities of the tendons were observed. T test and x~2 test were applied in statistical analysis. A valve of P<0.05 was required for statistical significance.Results: There were 125 swollen points in all 288 points and 102 points were found to have erosions in the surfaces of the bones by X-ray. The mean synovial...