Charlotte Strandberg

Power doppler ultrasonography for assessment of synovitis in the metacarpophalangeal joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A comparison with dynamic magnetic resonance imaging

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) for assessing inflammatory activity in the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a reference method. METHODS PDUS and dynamic MRI were performed on 54 MCP joints of 15 patients with active RA and on 12 MCP joints of 3 healthy controls. PDUS was performed with a LOGIQ 500 unit by means of a 7-13-MHz linear array transducer. Later the same day, MRI was performed with a 1.0T MR unit. A series of 24 coronal T1-weighted images of the second through the fifth MCP joints was obtained, with intravenous injection of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid after the fourth image (dynamic MRI). From the MR images, the rate of early synovial enhancement (RESE; defined as the relative enhancement per second during the first 55 seconds postinjection) was calculated and compared with the flow signal on PDUS, which was scored as present or absent. RESULTS In RA patients, flow signal on PDUS was detected in 17 of 54 MCP joints examined. Postcontrast MR images revealed an RESE of > or = 1.0%/second in 18 of 54 RA MCP joints. PDUS showed no flow in 47 of 48 MCP joints with an RESE of <1.0%/second and revealed flow in 16 of 18 MCP joints with an RESE of > or = 1.0%/second. Using dynamic MRI as a reference, PDUS had a sensitivity of 88.8% and a specificity of 97.9%. CONCLUSION PDUS was reliable for assessing inflammatory activity in the MCP joints of RA patients, using dynamic MRI as the standard. PDUS and clinical assessment of joint swelling/tenderness were only weakly correlated.

Ultrasonography of the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints in rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison with magnetic resonance imaging, conventional radiography and clinical examination.

Signs of inflammation and destruction in the finger joints are the principal features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There are few studies assessing the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in detecting these signs. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether ultrasonography can provide information on signs of inflammation and destruction in RA finger joints that are not available with conventional radiography and clinical examination, and comparable to the information provided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The second to fifth metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of 40 RA patients and 20 control persons were assessed with ultrasonography, clinical examination, radiography and MRI. With MRI as the reference method, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ultrasonography in detecting bone erosions in the finger joints were 0.59, 0.98 and 0.96, respectively; they were 0.42, 0.99 and 0.95 for radiography. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ultrasonography, with signs of inflammation on T1-weighted MRI sequences as the reference method, were 0.70, 0.78 and 0.76, respectively; they were 0.40, 0.85 and 0.72 for the clinical examination. With MRI as the reference method, ultrasonography had higher sensitivity and accuracy in detecting signs of inflammation and destruction in RA finger joints than did clinical and radiographic examinations, without loss of specificity. This study shows that ultrasonography has the potential to improve assessment of patients with RA.

Contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasonography of the metacarpophalangeal joints in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract. The aim of this study was to examine, with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI as the reference, if contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasonography (CE PDUS) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints provides additional information for evaluation of synovial inflammation compared with PDUS. One MCP joint in each of 15 RA patients and 3 healthy control persons were examined with PDUS before and after intravenous bolus Levovist contrast injection. Corresponding rates of early synovial enhancement (RESE), previously shown to be closely related to histopathological synovitis, were calculated from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR images obtained the same day. Prior to ultrasonography, the joint was evaluated clinically. Levovist increased the flow signal in 7 of 9 joints with pre-contrast flow-signal and in 0 of 9 without pre-contrast signal. No healthy controls showed CE PDUS signal. The results of CE PDUS and dynamic MRI were closely related: RESE in joints with CE PDUS signal was significantly higher than in joints without CE PDUS signal (Mann-Whitney test, p<0.001). Among the patients with pre-contrast PDUS signal no statistically significant difference in RESE values was found between joints with and without post-contrast flow-signal increase. No correlation was found between clinical examination and CE PDUS. Based on comparisons with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, PDUS appears to be reliable for assessment of synovitis in RA MCP joints. Intravenous contrast injection may provide additional information in selected cases but did not in the present study increase the sensitivity of the method.

Triplex us in the diagnosis of asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis

Purpose: to evaluate the accuracy of triplex ultrasound (TUS) compared with venography as a screening test for deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and to evaluate interobserver variation in the interpretation of the venographic studies. Material and Methods: A total of 133 postoperative hip fracture patients, asymptomatic of DVT, were prospectively examined with TUS and venography. All venograms were reviewed blindly and in case of disagreement a consensus was arrived at. Results: the incidence of DVT was 20%, with isolated calf vein thrombi in 63% of the cases. There were 7 false-negative and one false-positive result/s at TUS, with a sensitivity of 74%, specificity of 99% and accuracy of 97%. the kappa values ranged from 0.58 to 0.82. the false-negative results were all caused by missed calf vein thrombi in technically inadequate examinations. at sonography 2% of vein segments were noninterpretable, compared to 29% at venography. Conclusion: Venous US is less sensitive as a test for DVT in this study of asymptomatic patients than in earlier studies on symptomatic patients. Still, sonographic screening of high-risk patients would be both effective and cost effective. Fresh thrombi may cause a false-negative compression test.

Early Preoperative Thromboprophylaxis with Klexane® in Hip Fracture Surgery: A Placebo-Controlled Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate any possible benefits of early thromboprophylactic treatment in the preven tion of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in high-risk hip fracture patients. Within 30 months, 239 patients were included in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. With the diagnosis of hip fracture confirmed, patients received either 40-mg Enoxa parin s.c. or placebo once daily until operation. Postoperatively, all patients received 40-mg Enoxaparin s.c. once daily until phlebography. Phlebography was first performed on the oper ated leg, and with no thrombosis detected, the other leg was investigated as well. The two groups did not differ demograph ically. Eighty-five patients were excluded. Eight patients died during the study period. The remaining 146 patients had as cending phlebography performed and 24 patients (16.4%) de veloped DVT. Nine (12%) of 75 patients in the Klexane® and 15 (21 %) of 72 patients in the placebo group developed DVT. The risk ratio was 0.58 (95% confidence limits 0.27-1.25) and p = .15 (X2 test). There was no difference in perioperative bleeding or transfusion requirements. We conclude that Klex ane® is an effective and safe thromboprophylactic agent in hip fracture patients. Key Words: Hip fracture—Thrombopro phylaxis—Low—molecular heparin.

Inter- and intra-observer variation of colpo-cysto-urethrography diagnoses

To evaluate the reliability of diagnosing type of bladder suspension defect in incontinent women by means of voiding colpo‐cysto‐urethrography (CCU), 93 CCU‐series with exposures at rest, coughing, withholding and voiding were diagnosed. Three senior and one junior radiologists, a gynecologist and a urologist diagnosed the CCU‐series twice with 3‐6 months interval. The main diagnostic possibilities were anterior bladder suspension defects, posterior defects and normal, which were in accordance with general practice of choosing an abdominal suspension operation for the anterior suspension defects and a vaginal operation for the posterior defects. The intra‐observer agreement varied between 99% and 72%, i.e. 1/5 to 1/ 4 of the patients changed from one main diagnostic group to another at the two examinations. The inter‐observer agreement varied between 43% and 60%. Information of clinical patient data, given to the two clinicians, did not change their CCU‐diagnoses significantly. We concluded, that CCU should not be recommended as a routine for evaluation of type of suspension defect since the intra‐inter‐observer variation was around 25% and 50% respectively. CCU might still be useful preoperatively in selected cases, since it gives an excellent visualisation of bladder base anatomy.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is Prevalent in Women With Prior Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Independently Associated With Insulin Resistance and Waist Circumference

OBJECTIVE Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a potentially reversible condition but is also associated with progressive fibrosis and cirrhosis. Women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (pGDM) have a higher risk for NAFLD. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS One hundred women without diabetes who had pGDM (median [interquartile range]: age 38.6 [6.4] years; BMI 31.0 [6.2] kg/m2) and 11 healthy control subjects without NAFLD (age 37.9 [7.8] years; BMI 28.1 [0.8] kg/m2) underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), DXA whole-body scan, and ultrasonic evaluation of hepatic steatosis. RESULTS Twenty-four (24%) women with pGDM had NAFLD on the basis of the ultrasound scan. None had cirrhosis. Women with NAFLD had a higher BMI (P = 0.0002) and waist circumference (P = 0.0003), increased insulin resistance (P = 0.0004), and delayed suppression of glucagon after the OGTT (P < 0.0001), but NAFLD was not associated with the degree of glucose intolerance (P = 0.2196). Visceral fat mass differed among the three groups, with the NAFLD group having the highest amount of fat and the control subjects the lowest (P = 0.0003). By logistic regression analysis, insulin resistance (P = 0.0057) and waist circumference (P = 0.0109) were independently associated with NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS NAFLD was prevalent in this cohort of relatively young and nonseverely obese women with pGDM who are considered healthy apart from their increased risk for diabetes. Insulin resistance and a larger waist circumference were independently associated with the presence of NAFLD, whereas glucose intolerance was not.

Deep venous thrombosis and inferior vena cava malformation

We report on five patients with anomalies of the inferior vena cava who all presented with deep venous thrombosis. The anomalies of the inferior vena cava were diagnosed with CT, and at the same time thrombosis of the inferior vena cava and/or iliofemoral thrombosis could be demonstrated. Malformation of the inferior vena cava might be a predisposing factor for deep venous thrombosis.