How useful is contrast-enhanced ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis? A systematic review with meta-analysis on the comparison between contrast-enhanced ultrasound and colour or power Doppler ultrasound.
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound shines a brighter light on rheumatoid arthritis, detecting 50% more active synovitis than standard Doppler techniques. This powerful imaging tool could revolutionize early diagnosis and targeted treatment for this debilitating condition.
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) compared to color/power Doppler ultrasound (DUS) for identifying active synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The review included 23 studies with 1,117 joints from 827 subjects, 898 of which were from 669 RA patients. The meta-analysis of 9 studies showed that CEUS detected synovitis in 83.8% of joints, compared to 49.2% with DUS, a 49% relative increase. CEUS appears to be a more sensitive technique for assessing microvascular changes associated with active RA, potentially enabling earlier diagnosis and more targeted treatment. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and explore the clinical utility of CEUS in routine RA management.