Key clinical point: The entheseal fibrocartilage (EF) thickness assessed during power Doppler ultrasound evaluation was significantly different among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and control individuals and can be explored as an imaging biomarker for PsA.
Major finding: The median EF thickness was significantly greater in patients with PsA and athletes vs control individuals (0.035 and 0.036 vs 0.030 cm, respectively; P = .05 and P = .008, respectively), with the intra- and inter-reader reliability of the evaluation of EF thickness being excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.91) and good (ICC 0.80; both P < .001), respectively.
Study details: This cross-sectional study included patients with PsA (n = 30), athletes (n = 40), and control individuals (n = 20) who underwent power Doppler ultrasound evaluation during bilateral Achilles tendon insertions.
Disclosures: This study did not receive any external funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Perrotta FM et al. Ultrasonographic evaluation of entheseal fibrocartilage in patients with psoriatic arthritis, athletes and healthy controls: A comparison study. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023; 13(8):1446 (Apr 17). Doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13081446