Current Rheumatology Reviews - Volume 7, Issue 3, 2011

Ultrasound has become an important tool in the practice of rheumatology over the last several years. Use of ultrasound at the bedside allows direct visualization of joints, ligaments and tendons as well as dynamic and functional assessments of these structures in real time at the bedside. MRI and CT may give us more detailed pictures with a broader view of the anatomy of a particular area, but with the newer high resolution scan Read More

Over the last decade, musculoskeletal (MS) ultrasound (US) has played an increasingly important role in optimizing clinical assessment and monitoring of patients with rheumatologic diseases in clinical practice. We could also say that MSUS is now at the cutting edge of research in rheumatology. High-resolution MSUS with Doppler technique provides an accurate and sensitive assessment of joint inflammatory activit Read More

The use of ultrasound in inflammatory conditions has increased in recent years and is now a relatively accessible imaging modality in most clinical departments. It has no ionizing radiation and is able to visualize structures in real-time with high resolution. Though ultrasound is used widely in daily clinical practice, validation is of utmost importance if ultrasound is to be used as a research tool in clinical trials. The aim of the pre Read More

The attempt to measure and quantify changes related to inflammation and structural damage lesions represents one of the most interesting topics in the field of musculoskeletal ultrasound in rheumatology. Different scoring systems have been used over the recent years to measure inflammation and structural damage lesions in patients affected by inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic diseases. In the last years Read More

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) is an important part of rheumatologic practice and requires a thorough understanding of the anatomic details of the involved structures. In this article, we present three clinically relevant examples whose diagnosis and treatment are greatly enhanced by US examination. The subsheath surrounding the extensor carpi ulnaris tendon is an important structure that stabilizes the tendon and can b Read More

The ligaments of the wrist, ankle and foot play a critical role in the static and dynamic stabilization of the joints of these regions. The advent of high resolution ultrasound has markedly improved the evaluation of pathologic alterations of the structure by enabling direct visualization. In the wrist region, the focus is on the extrinsic ligaments, those ligaments that have their origin in the bones of the forearm and insert on the carpa Read More

In the latest years there has been an explosive growth in the use of ultrasound for exploring the soft tissues. Thus, the utility of sonography in the musculoskeletal field is now very well supported in literature. Moreover, this sonographic expansion has continued through the dermatologic field. The aim of this article is to review the recent advances in dermatologic ultrasound considering last-generation equipment, and assess th Read More

Ultrasound (US) has an emergent and relevant role in the assessment of musculoskeletal disease and skin in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), even if there are almost many fields and applications that were not still sufficiently explored until now. In this review, we will report an update of the available data regarding the employment of US in joints, tendons, peripheral nerves and skin involvement in SSc. The assessment of heart, kidney Read More

Ubiquitin ligases are the substrate specific elements of the ubiquitination system, which comprises a posttranslational mechanism by which the immune response can be modulated, setting the tune for the TCR activation. Proteolysis dependent and independent mechanisms have been implicated. Ubiquitin ligases have been proven as key modulators of central and peripheral tolerance, involving the regulation of anergy Read More

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. It is associated with increased mortality rates as compared to the healthy population. The actual cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown although several factors accelerating its progression are outlined. This review enlists various histopathological changes and encompasses a note on its applicability in target specific delivery with Read More

Brucellosis continues to adversely affect human health throughout the world. Acute and chronic osteoarticular manifestations of brucellosis include sacroiliitis, spondylitis, peripheral arthritis, osteomyelitis, and bursitis. Substantial clinical experience with the presentation, clinical course, and treatment of brucellosis exists in countries of the former Soviet Union, including the Republic of Georgia. The present article reviews the Read More