TY - JOUR A2 - Mahler, Michael AU - Amezcua-Guerra, Luis M. AU - Hofmann, Fritz AU - Vargas, Angelica AU - Rodriguez-Henriquez, Pedro AU - Solano, Carla AU - Hernández-Díaz, Cristina AU - Castillo-Martinez, Diana AU - Ventura-Ríos, Lucio AU - Gutiérrez, Marwin AU - Pineda, Carlos PY - 2013 DA - 2013/07/08 TI - Joint Involvement in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome: An Ultrasound “Target Area Approach to Arthritis” SP - 640265 VL - 2013 AB - Objective. To characterize the ultrasound (US) pattern of joint involvement in primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Methods. Seventeen patients with pSS, 18 with secondary Sjögren’s syndrome (sSS), and 17 healthy controls underwent US examinations of various articular regions. Synovitis (synovial hypertrophy/joint effusion), power Doppler (PD) signals, and erosions were assessed. Results. In patients with pSS, synovitis was found in the metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP, 76%), wrists (76%), and knees (76%), while the proximal interphalangeal joints, elbows, and ankles were mostly unscathed. Intra-articular PD signals were occasionally detected in wrists (12%), elbows (6%), and knees (6%). Erosions were evident in the wrists of three (18%) patients with pSS, one of these also having anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. While US synovitis does not discriminate between sSS and pSS, demonstration of bone erosions in the 2nd MCP joints showed 28.8% sensitivity and 100% specificity for diagnosing sSS; in comparison, these figures were 72.2 and 94.1% for circulating anti-CCP antibodies. Conclusions. In pSS, the pattern of joint involvement by US is polyarticular, bilateral, and symmetrical. Synovitis is the US sign most commonly found in patients with pSS, especially in MCP joints, wrists, and knees, and bone erosions also may occur. SN - 2314-6133 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/640265 DO - 10.1155/2013/640265 JF - BioMed Research International PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation KW - ER -