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All rheumatologists should aim to incorporate ultrasonography into their daily practice, according to the European League Against Rheumatism's Working Party on Imaging in Rheumatology.
Ultrasound provides a convenient, quick method of confirming diagnostic suspicions. “If you have a patient with hip pain that you think may have arthritis, if you put the ultrasound machine on the patient, you will see the arthritis immediately,” said Dr. Nanno Swen, a rheumatologist at the Medical Center Alkmaar (the Netherlands) and a member of the ultrasonography working party.
Experts in ultrasonography discussed the practical applications of sonography and reviewed its advantages and challenges at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam.
One challenge lies in standardizing the interpretation of ultrasonographic images. Interoperator variability exists even among experts, said Dr. Wolfgang A. Schmidt, also a member of the working party.
In his studies of ultrasonography experts, Dr. Schmidt of the Medical Center for Rheumatology in Berlin-Buch, Germany, found that interpretations were most variable at the feet and most consistent at the knee.
Dr. Swen noted, “I can assure you that if you do the same experiment on radiologists, you will have the same problem. … [A]ll of these imaging modalities have interobserver variability.”
Cardiologists and gynecologists do their own sonography, and rheumatologists need to learn the technique. The ultrasonography working party offers 3-day training courses once or twice each year for interested rheumatologists, said Dr. Swen.
Ultrasonography is less expensive than magnetic resonance imaging or bone scans, and it can be quite sensitive, according to Dr. Walter Grassi, chairman of the sonography working party and director of the department of rheumatology at the Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
All rheumatologists should aim to incorporate ultrasonography into their daily practice, according to the European League Against Rheumatism's Working Party on Imaging in Rheumatology.
Ultrasound provides a convenient, quick method of confirming diagnostic suspicions. “If you have a patient with hip pain that you think may have arthritis, if you put the ultrasound machine on the patient, you will see the arthritis immediately,” said Dr. Nanno Swen, a rheumatologist at the Medical Center Alkmaar (the Netherlands) and a member of the ultrasonography working party.
Experts in ultrasonography discussed the practical applications of sonography and reviewed its advantages and challenges at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam.
One challenge lies in standardizing the interpretation of ultrasonographic images. Interoperator variability exists even among experts, said Dr. Wolfgang A. Schmidt, also a member of the working party.
In his studies of ultrasonography experts, Dr. Schmidt of the Medical Center for Rheumatology in Berlin-Buch, Germany, found that interpretations were most variable at the feet and most consistent at the knee.
Dr. Swen noted, “I can assure you that if you do the same experiment on radiologists, you will have the same problem. … [A]ll of these imaging modalities have interobserver variability.”
Cardiologists and gynecologists do their own sonography, and rheumatologists need to learn the technique. The ultrasonography working party offers 3-day training courses once or twice each year for interested rheumatologists, said Dr. Swen.
Ultrasonography is less expensive than magnetic resonance imaging or bone scans, and it can be quite sensitive, according to Dr. Walter Grassi, chairman of the sonography working party and director of the department of rheumatology at the Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
All rheumatologists should aim to incorporate ultrasonography into their daily practice, according to the European League Against Rheumatism's Working Party on Imaging in Rheumatology.
Ultrasound provides a convenient, quick method of confirming diagnostic suspicions. “If you have a patient with hip pain that you think may have arthritis, if you put the ultrasound machine on the patient, you will see the arthritis immediately,” said Dr. Nanno Swen, a rheumatologist at the Medical Center Alkmaar (the Netherlands) and a member of the ultrasonography working party.
Experts in ultrasonography discussed the practical applications of sonography and reviewed its advantages and challenges at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam.
One challenge lies in standardizing the interpretation of ultrasonographic images. Interoperator variability exists even among experts, said Dr. Wolfgang A. Schmidt, also a member of the working party.
In his studies of ultrasonography experts, Dr. Schmidt of the Medical Center for Rheumatology in Berlin-Buch, Germany, found that interpretations were most variable at the feet and most consistent at the knee.
Dr. Swen noted, “I can assure you that if you do the same experiment on radiologists, you will have the same problem. … [A]ll of these imaging modalities have interobserver variability.”
Cardiologists and gynecologists do their own sonography, and rheumatologists need to learn the technique. The ultrasonography working party offers 3-day training courses once or twice each year for interested rheumatologists, said Dr. Swen.
Ultrasonography is less expensive than magnetic resonance imaging or bone scans, and it can be quite sensitive, according to Dr. Walter Grassi, chairman of the sonography working party and director of the department of rheumatology at the Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.