Abstract:
HTML
Purpose: To assess quantitative measurement of vascularity in the sacroiliac (SI) joints of patients with active sacroiliitis and of healthy volunteers using dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US).
Methods and Materials: Twenty-two patients with active sacroiliitis (15 women, 7 men) based on the clinical criteria described by Calin et al. (JAMA 1977; 237:2613-4), and 10 healthy volunteers (7 women, 3 men) were studied. All patients and volunteers were examined with gray-scale fundamental US and gray-scale harmonic US before and after injection of intravenous US contrast agent (SonoVue, Bracco, Italy). Both SI joints were imaged in a single transverse scan at three different levels using a 2.5 MHz curved array transducer (Esaote Ultrasound Systems, Italy). Quantitative estimation of the vascularity of the SI joints was performed with time-intensity curves and calculation of the area under the curves. We correlated the contrast US findings with age and disease duration.
Results: Mean value of the area underlying the time-intensity curves was 242 (+/- 41) in patients with active sacroiliitis, and 34 (+/- 35) in healthy volunteers. The mean value of the areas differed significantly between the patients with active sacroiliitis and the healthy control group (p<0.01). No correlation was found with age and disease duration (p=0.2).
Conclusion: Dynamic contrast-enhanced US is sensitive to the presence of increased vascularity associated with active sacroiliitis, and might therefore be useful in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with inflammatory lower back pain.
Questions about this event email: andrea.klauser@uibk.ac.at
Klauser MD, A,
Contrast-enhanced US in the Assessment of Sacroiliac Joint Vascularity: Preliminary Experience. Radiological Society of North America 2003 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 30 - December 5, 2003 ,Chicago IL.
http://archive.rsna.org/2003/3103302.html
